


Things Can be Different

by WillWork4Bacon



Category: Rosario + Vampire, Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Crossover Pairings, F/M, Harems, High School, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-03-30 15:52:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 128,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3942616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillWork4Bacon/pseuds/WillWork4Bacon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After continuing to struggle fitting into the life of a ghoul, Ken Kaneki is given a scholarship to Youkai Academy, a hidden school for monsters that teaches them to blend into the human world. However, Youkai Academy can be a very scary place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First day

**Author's Note:**

> For sake of the story all Tokyo Ghoul characters will be three years younger than at the start of the series. So Kaneki is only 15 which is the age at which he would be attending school.

It was late in the city of Tokyo. Anteiku, a small coffee shop in the 20th ward was going to close soon. Yoshimura was now watching the floor by himself as he was expecting no one to come in so late. Touka and Hinami were already upstairs in their rooms. Touka was studying for a test while Hinami was reading the latest book by Takatsuki Sen. Yomo was the only other person in the shop with Ysohimura, the owner. He was there as a customer for once though. He normally kept himself busy working as an informant for the elderly owner but did enjoy coming by for a cup of coffee every now and then. Yoshimura finished making the two cups of coffee and brought them over to the counter where Yomo was sitting. There was one for Yomo and one for himself. "I don't know what i'm going to do about Kaneki." Yoshimura suddenly said. "After these past few months he still seems to be struggling with adapting to our way of life. Not that I can blame the young man though." 

"Just give Kaneki more time." Yomo casually replied. "I'm sure that's all he needs. Besides, neither one of us expected him to be able to stand up against Tsukiyama." 

"That is true, but it was not him who defeated Tsukiyama, that was thanks to Touka. If she were not there it is likely he could have killed the other three." Yoshimura reminded him. The door to the shop opened and the bell jingled. Yoshimura looked over to door to see a man dressed in white priest robes had entered the shop. His face was mostly hidden by the robs around his head but his eyes seemed to almost be glowing. He was also wearing a cross around his neck. "Welcome to Anteiku." Yoshimura greeted him with a smile. "Please have a seat." 

"Thank you very much." The priest replied as he went over to the counter, taking a seat a couple down from Yomo. "I heard this was the best place in the area to get a cup of coffee, so I thought i'd come check it out for myself."

"Well I certainly won't let you down." Yoshimura replied with a smile. He poured another cup from the batch he just brewed. He was always careful whenever he brewed coffee. He took great pride in it. He was always careful and treated each batch carefully and how it needed to be treated. It was something he had come to learn in his years. After pouring a third cup he took it over to his customer. "Here you are, freshly brewed not even a minute ago."

"Thank you." The priest thanked him as he took the cup. He brought it up to his lips and took a sip. "You certainly kept  your promise, this is delicious." 

"Thank you, I take pride in it." Yoshimura responded. "I hope you don't think less of me for having one for myself this late. I was just having a chat with an old friend about something."

"About Kaneki Ken, correct?" The priest asked. Yoshimura looked a bit confused and this mysterious priest had now caught Yomo's attention.

"Yes... how do you know about Kaneki-san?" Yoshimura asked. 

"I know many things, it is my job to do so." The priest replied with a smile. "That is also why I came here. I believe I may be able to help with your situation."

"Oh?" Yoshimura looked surprised. The priest pulled out a sheet of paper from his robes and placed it on the table. Yoshimura looked down to see it looked like a forum for a school. 

"I run a private academy called Youkai Academy. I would like to enroll Kaneki Ken in this academy." 

"I see, and you know about Kaneki's situation correct?" Yoshimura asked, checking to make sure that this stranger meant what he said.

"He was born human and became a ghoul, just as all of you here are ghouls as well." The priest stated. "As I said, it is my job to know things." 

"Then, how will sending him to this school help exactly?" 

"Youkai Academy is no ordinary school. It got that name because it is a school of youkai." Yoshimura raised an eyebrow in response to that. "Tell me, you ghouls exist as a sentient species separate from humans, so why couldn't others? Don't humans have stories about vampires, goblins, and all the creatures that go bump in the night? They are just as real as ghouls are. However they are all much older species than ghouls are. most have existed for thousands of years while ghouls have only been around for the last few centuries or so. They have already adapted and learned how to blend into the human world without giving themselves away. Sending Kaneki-san to Youkai Academy would serve two purposes. One would be to help him learn to adapt to the human world. At Youkai all students are expected to maintain a human appearance. It is against the rules to reveal ones true form while attending. The purpose is to teach every new generation of youaki to adapt to living in the human world. If Kaneki-san were to attend it would certainly help him in adjusting. The second is to possibly help future ghouls. I will be gauging his presence there and see if it will be possible to allow ghouls to start attending Youkai, thus teaching them how to blend in as well. If all goes according to plan, then one day humans will start to believe they have wiped out all the ghouls and that they are only a bad memory. However your kind will still be alive and well, perhaps even with their own world like some of the other races. So, what do you say?" 

"Hmm..." Yoshimura looked down at the forum and thought about everything he had just been told.

* * *

"Y-you're sending me to school?" Kaneki asked in surprise.

"That's right, it's a private school called Youkai Academy." Yoshimura informed him. Kaneki was now in the shop before opening along with Touka and Nishiki. Hinami was curretly downstairs too and helping set up. Though she was not an official employee she helped whenever possible. "The Chairman himself came to me and offered to send you there on a scholarship. Everything will be paid for and all we have to do it send you when the bus comes to pick you up in two days." 

"But, what about work? What about Hide? How often will I get to see him?" Kaneki asked nervously. 

"Ah relax, i'm sure spring break will come before you know it." Nishiki reassured him in a casual manner. 

"Actually, that's not the case." Yoshimura told him with a suddenly more serious tone. "One of the rules of the academy is that you won't be allowed to leave until you graduate. Or at least not to the human world." 

"Huh, human world?" Kaneki asked as he titled his head in confusion. 

"You see, Youkai Academy is a special academy. It is for non-human races and youkai." Yoshimura told him. Kaneki stared back blankly for a second along with the others. 

"What?" He asked dumbfounded.

"The Chairman informed me that there are races other than human and ghoul. Vampires, werewolves, and the like are very real and have kept themselves hidden for centuries. Youkai is a school for non-humans to not only get an education but learn how to live with humans as well."

"...WHAT?!" Kaneki shouted. "Are you telling me i'm going to school with monsters?" He sounded panicked. 

"I suppose if you wish to see it that way. But didn't you yourself call us monsters before too?" Kaneki opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. What the manager said was true, he called Touka a monster right to her face. Not that long ago he thought that way, all ghouls were monsters. It was wrong to judge the other species and his soon to be classmates like that too. 

"Are you sure this man wasn't just insane?" Touka questioned him. 

"Well at first I was skeptical." Yoshimura answered. "However the Chairman was kind enough to give me a tour of the school grounds. I have to admit the scenery was certainly... Gothic, but it convinced me that he was telling the truth. Especially when the bus entered a tunnel and came out in another dimension." 

"Are you serious?" Touka was shocked. "So... all those stories about youkai are really true then?"

"Yes, it would seem they are." Yoshimura answered. "I was also informed that they have all been around longer than our own kind. Ghouls have only been around for the past few centuries while the other races have all been around for thousands of years. The Chairman hopes for ghouls to learn how to adjust and blend in the same as they did so that our kind will survive. It seems that there are already species that have fallen to the hands of man." Kaneki thought about that for a moment. He was nervous about going, but it was for a reason. He would be a pioneer of sorts, the first of his kind to attend this school and learn how to better blend into human society. It would benefit not only him but all other ghouls as well. Maybe even Touka or Hinami could go one day. 

"Alright." Kaneki agreed softly. All heads turned to him. "I'll do it, i'll go. Then that way maybe ore ghouls can go and I can end up saving people with this. Maybe one day we won't have to worry about the CCG anymore." 

"Tch, that's a foolishly hopeful thought." Touka interjected. He didn't care. If it would help he would do it, whether or not he was scared. He let out a sigh and thought about what a long four years it would be. 

* * *

The bus stopped at a dirt road in the middle of what looked like a dead forest. There were trees all around but their bark looked rotted and there wasn't a leaf around for miles, not even on the ground. It looked spooky and desolated. Kaenki wondered where on earth they were or if the bus driver was possibly lost. Kaneki was sitting alone in the back of the bus. He was the only one on it save for the driver anyway. With him he had all the items he would need for school and one item he brought from home. His mask. He wasn't exactly sure why he took it, he just felt as if he should. He thought perhaps it was to keep him for getting too homesick during his stay. He would be living at this academy for the next four years, which is a long time. He thought part of him just wanted to bring something from home as a keepsake and he decided on his mask. Of course he also did have a new book by his favorite author, Takatsuki Sen. He hoped there would be a library or something at the school where he could rent books from. 

"This is it, Youkai Academy." The bus driver announced. "Please watch your step as you get off. Kaneki slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed off the bus. He was currently dressed in his new school uniform. It consisted over a white dress shirt and red tie with a green jacket over top. He also has on khakis with a black belt and black loafers. Over his left eye was a white eyepatch like he normally wore. As he stepped off the bus he looked around the dead forest. It looked almost like it Halloween all the time. 

"Thank you for the ride." Kaneki thanked the bus driver before he pulled off. 

"No problem kid, and be careful. Youkai Academy can be a very scary place." He then closed the doors to the bus and sped off, leaving a terrified looking Kaneki.

_Why did he have to say that?_ He thought to himself. He managed to muster up the courage to continue down the dirt path. The walk through the forest began to feel like it was never ending. Kaneki felt like at any moment someone or something was going to jump out from behind a tree and eat him. He even saw a few gravestones along the way and wondered if they were real. _Well the old man was right, it's certainly Gothic._  

"Look out!" A girl's voice suddenly called from behind. 

"Huh?" Kaneki looked over his shoulder to see what was going on when he felt something run full force into him. A bike crashed into him and he was sent flying forward to the ground, along with the girl riding it. It took him a moment to come back to his senses but when he did he saw he was lying face down on the ground and there was now a girl in the school uniform in front of him. She had long pink hair and was undeniably cute. He also noticed his hand happened to be on her thigh. He quickly retracted his hand and sat upright. "S-sorry." He stammered a nervous apology. 

"No, it's my fault. I wasn't paying attention and should have watched what I was doing." She replied in a gentle voice. "I'm sorry for running into you." She apologized with a bit of a saddened look in her eyes. Kaneki couldn't help but think about how cute she was. 

"It's alright, don't worry about it." He reassured her. She suddenly started leaning in closer but pulled herself back. 

"No, I shouldn't." She mumbled to herself. 

"Shouldn't what?" Kaneki asked. 

"Oh..." She suddenly started turning red. "I'm sorry, I just can't help myself." She leaned in closer once more and brought her face close to his. Now he started turning red too.

"Wh-what?" He asked. 

"I'm sorry but you see... i'm a vampire." She suddenly put her mouth to his neck and bit him. He froze there in that moment. Not out of pain, he had taken worse than that and his body would heal it instantly anyway. It was out of the shock that someone was drinking his blood. He froze up and didn't know what to do. After a short and rather awkward moment she released him. "Oh that was so yummy! But i'm really sorry I did that without asking." 

"Y... you drank my blood." Was all he could manage to say in response. 

"Ohh, i'm really sorry. Can you ever forgive me?" She asked with wide eyes. It was almost like a puppy. 

"Y-yeah." He stammered. "It's just... well isn't one of the school rules that we're not supposed to reveal ourselves?" 

"Oh, you're right!" She suddenly looked surprised and put a hand to her mouth in shock. "You're not... someone that hates vampires are you?" She asked nervously. Kaneki tilted his head slightly. 

"No." He answered innocently. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but do people have a thing against vampires or something?" She nodded and looked a bit hurt, though not by him but he could tell she looked pained. 

"Though you can't tell because I have my power sealed, we vampires are a very powerful race. One of the most powerful races of youkai there is. Because of that many of the others have come to fear us and hate us in that fear. We're generally not well liked among races outside of our own. So because of that we often live away from others." Her words struck a cord deep in Kaneki. Her story sounded just like his. Humans feared ghouls not only because they ate people but because they were more powerful. Humans feared and hated ghouls, causing most of them to live isolated and alone. Even then they always had the constant threat of the CCG looming around. If they were identified as a ghoul it was all over. Her story sounded just like what he now had to go through. "So, i'm glad when you say that you don't hate our kind." 

Kaneki shook his head. "Trust me, I can relate to that more than you think." He told her.

"Really?" She asked in mild surprise. 

"Yeah." He told her with a nod. 

"Then... do you think... we could be friends?" She asked innocently. Something about that struck deep in him too. She reminded him of himself just a bit. She seemed lonely, and he could relate. 

"Sure." He offered her a hand. "My name is Kaneki Ken." 

She took hold of his hand. "Akashiya Moka." She introduced herself as he helped her back up. 

"Well it's nice to meet you Moka-san." He told her with a smile. 

"You too Ken-san." She replied with just a little bit of red in her face.

"Please, you can just call me Kaneki. All my friends do." 

"Alright Kaneki." She responded with a smile.

* * *

A short while later Kaneki was sitting in homeroom. His seat was in the row closest to the window, three away from the back. His homeroom was in class 163, and his homeroom teacher was a blonde woman who looked to be in her thirties with cat ears sticking out of her head and glasses on her face. "Hello everyone, welcome to Youkai Academy! I am your homeroom teacher Nekonome Shizuka." She introduced herself. I'm sure most of you know this already, but Youkai Academy was built for the sake of monsters to attend." No one in that room looked at all surprised. Kaneki still couldn't help but feel nervous. He had only know about the existence of monsters for a few days, not even a week. To him this was all new and scary. He couldn't help but feel nervous, even if he knew they would probably act like normal people. After all, Moka was nice enough to him. "The earth has come under control of the humans in order for us to continue to exist and survive we have to learn to peacefully coexist with the humans. Part of this involves hiding our true identities as monsters. For this reason you will have ot live at this academy in your human form. It it against the rules to show your true form to anyone at this school, understand?"

"Hey teacher, wouldn't it be better to just eat those puny humans? Or have your way them in the case of the girls." A blonde boy with a lower lip piercing asked. Kaneki suddenly felt like throwing up. 

"Oh, here at Youkai Academy all the students and teachers are monsters. There are no genuine humans here since this is a hidden realm. If any humans found out about this place they would be killed." The teacher responded. 

Killed for being human? Kaneki silently thought to himself. Seems just like it was out in the real world. Humans killing ghouls and ghouls killing humans. It doesn't change does it? I have to keep my identity as a ghoul a secret, and I had better guard my human origin even more. 

"Excuse me." A polite female voice called from the doorway. The whole class looked to see a girl with long pink hair was now standing there. Kaneki instantly recognized her. "Sorry for being late, I got lost after the entrance ceremony." 

"Ah, that's fine. Take a seat." Neokonome told her as she forgave the tardiness. It was the first day after all. 

"Thank you." Moka nodded with a smile. 

"Wow, who is she?" One of the boys in the classroom asked. 

"Hot, she's so hot!" Another cried out.

"Boy i'm glad to be in the same class as her." A third commented. In his seat, Saizou, the blonde boy who had suggested eating humans watched her intently. He licked his lips as she made her way down one of the aisles. One boy in particular caught her attention. 

"Kaneki-kun!" She suddenly embraced her new friend. 

"What?! That guy?" One of the boys from before shouted. 

"Lucky one-eyed bastard!" Another remarked. Saizou gave them both a dangerous look that went unnoticed. 

* * *

After class Moka was holding onto Kaneki's arm as they toured the school grounds together. They were both smiling too. Moka was excited that she had made a friend already. Kaneki was happy that such an attractive girl was showing interest in him. She seemed so nice to, he was really glad he met her. He hoped that it would work out better than it did with Rize. "Wow, this place sure is big." Kaneki commented.

"Yeah, i've never been to a school this big." Moka replied. "I'm glad I came here and met you thought Kaneki-kun." 

"Heh, i'm glad I met you too Moka-san." He said with a smile. 

"You can call me Moka-chan." She smiled up at him. 

"Alright Moka-chan. Would you like something to drink?" He offered. They came upon a small drink vending machine and Kaneki pulled out a few notes of Yen. 

"Oh, can I get some tomato juice please?" She asked. 

"Sure." He put int enough for two drinks and got two cans. One was a cold coffee for him, and the other was tomato juice for Moka. The two of them stepped outside to take a seat on a bench and enjoy their beverages. "Moka-chan, do you like coffee at all?"

"Hmm?" She turned and gave hi ma curious look. "I haven't really had it that much to say, why?" 

"Well I used to work in a coffee shop before coming here and I thought maybe you'd like to have some together something. The manager taught me on how to make it really good." He told her with a nervous smile. She looked a bit surprsied before giving an answer. 

"That sounds lovely, sure Kaneki-kun!" She answered with a smile. 

"Hey you!" A gruff voice called out to them. The two of them looked to see Saizou from their homeroom approaching them. "You, Akashiya Moka, why are you hanging around a guy like this? You should be my woman." He told her. 

"I... i'm sorry but i'm hanging out with Kaneki-kun. He's really kind and nice to me." Moka replied. 

"I said I want you to be my woman." Saizou suddenly grabbed her by the wrist and forced her to stand up. 

"Ow, you're hurting me!" She cried. 

"Hey, leave her alone!" Kaneki jumped on his feet to defend her. Saizou gave him and angry look but let Moka go. He then used the same hand to lift Kaneki up into the air by his collar. Kaneki suddenly felt terrified and struggled to get free.

"Why are you hanging out with a weakling like this? You should have a real man like me." Saizou gloated. 

"Leave him alone! I'm not going to go out with you!" Moka shouted. By this point almost everybody around had stopped to watch the spectacle. 

"Tch." Saizou looked down at her with an irritated look. Then he felt his grip starting to be pried apart. He looked over to see Kaneki was now starting to force Saizou to release his grip. "What?! Where is this strength coming from?" Saizou asked astonished. Kaneki then pulled his fingers apart and landed on the ground. Now he had Saizou in his grip. Using the training he had received from Touka and Yomo, he grabbed hold of Saizou by the arm and threw the other boy over his shoulder. Saizou went flying off several feet from Kaneki's Judo throw. He landed on his back and slid for a few more feet before stopping. Everyone around was murmuring at the scene. Kaneki was panting from excitment. 

"Kaneki-kun..." Moka suddenly spoke up softly. He then realized she had just seen that whole thing. He turned around to face her. 

"Moka, I-" He stopped talking when she suddenly pulled him into a tight hug.

"My hero!" She cried. 

"That was pretty impressive." Another male voice commented. They two of them looked to see an older man with spiky orange hair now standing near them. They both knew he must have been a teacher. "You turned the tables on him and preformed a pretty well executed throw. Good job on that."

"Thanks... are you a teacher here?" Kaneki asked nervously. 

"I am. I'm the P.E. teacher Kotsubo Okuto." He introduced himself. 

"Am I... in trouble?" Kaneki asked. Kotsubo suddenly looked confused. 

"In trouble? Whatever for?" He asked. 

"For getting into a fight?" 

"This isn't a human school." Kotsubo responded. 

"Huh?" Now Kaneki looked confused. 

"If this were a human school then yes, you both would be in big trouble. However things work differently at Youkai Academy. Students are expected to deal with this issues themselves, teachers don't normally intervene. If someone tries to push you around, push them back. That's how it works in the monster worlds." He explained. 

"So fighting is allowed here?" Kaneki asked just to be sure. 

"To a degree. Just don't break school property and don't kill anyone. At least, not in the open if you plan of doing that." Kaneki hoped he was joking  but somehow got the impression he wasn't. 

"Well, thanks... I guess." Kaneki replied. Kotsubo nodded before walking away, heading back to the gym before the next class started. 

* * *

"Kaneki, where are you going?" Moka asked as she chased him into the woods on the school grounds. After the next class he had wandered off and she went to follow him. "Why are you going all the way out here?" She asked. "Kaneki-kun, please wait!" She called. He then stopped walking and gave her a chance to catch up. "Kaneki-kun, is something wrong?" He was silent for a moment. 

"Yeah." He answered before turning around to her. "How can they just allow people to get pushed around like that?" 

"I know it seems cruel but that's just the way it is. Don't you know that monsters are more used to violence?" She asked. 

"No, I didn't." He replied. "I... I grew up in the human world." He admitted. her eyes suddenly widened. "I'm use to going to school there. At human schools fighting would never be tolerated, especially not like that. I feel like I would go back if I could. Go back to all my friends." 

"No, you can't!" Moka suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him a bit. "You can't go back to the humans! You just can't!" He was surprised to see this reaction from her. 

"Moka-chan relax, i'm not actually going back." He reassured her as he gentle released her grip. "Why are you suddenly acting like this?" 

"Because... I used to go a human school too." She admitted. Again he could see she looked pained. "Back then they always used to tease on me. I was constantly picked on and harassed because they thought I was different. Then I got accepted to here I swore i'd never go back. That's why I don't want you to go back. I don't want you to have to go and face those cruel and mean humans." Kaneki watched as she started to cry. It was clear she did not like humans and for a reason. She had experienced her own fair share of cruelty at the hands of humans. He thought about Touka and her hate towards the CCG. Of course Moka hadn't lost anybody, but still he couldn't help but think about her hate for them based on how she was treated. 

"Moka-chan, what if... what if I was one of those humans you hate so much?" He asked carefully. She looked at him stunned. 

"Kaneki-kun?" She asked confused and with a few tears still in her eyes.

"I'm not!" He quickly reassured sure. "It's just... what if I was?" She stared back at him silently, thinking about why he would ask such an odd question. He couldn't be human, she knew that because his blood tasted different. So why was he asking this?

"Well what do we have here?  A loving tender moment?" Saizou suddenly called out. Kaneki and Moka both looked towards his direction as he approached them. "That makes me sick." 

"What are you doing here?" Kaneki demanded in an attempted tough guy voice. 

"As I said before, i'm here to make the beautiful Akashiya Moka mine." He explained. "But you're in the way. So I suppose i'll have to kill you now." Saizou suddenly began to shake and his body transformed. He suddenly grew big, very big. He now towered over both Kaneki and Moka. his muscles also bulked up to enormous sizes. His tongue also grew longer and now hung out of his mouth. Kaneki stepped in front of Moka. 

"Moka-chan, get out of here!" He told her. I'll hold him off." Saizou chuckled as he clearly towered over the smaller boy. 

"What's a weakling like you going to do when i'm in my true form?" He asked, mocking his opponent. 

_He might be right._ Kaneki realized. _This guy is huge. If i'm not allowed to reveal my true form then I can't use my kagune. I'm going to have to hope my ghoul strength is enough._

Moka suddenly grabbed onto his arm. "No, Kaneki-kun you can't!" She pleaded. "He'll kill you!" 

"If it means you'll be safe i'm willing to take that risk." Kaneki told her. "Please, run away. I don't want you to get hurt." He held her by her hands and held them up close to her.

"Kaneki-kun..." She couldn't believe his bravery and will to protect her. "No! I won't leave you! I'll help fight too!" She tried to free herself.

"Moka-chan, what-" There was a small plink that made Kaneki lose concentration. He noticed that the small cross she wore around her neck had come off and was now in his hands. 

"Oh." Moka took a step back and Kaneki suddenly got an ominous feeling. He and Saizou watched as an aura suddenly began to emanate from her. Moka's arms outstretched and she began to transform. Hey air suddenly turned a silver color and her body began change as if she was maturing. When she opened her eyes once more they were red with slit pupils. She also now had two fangs sticking out from her upper lip. This was Akashiya Moka's true form. Kaneki took a few steps back and he suddenly felt a wave of panic overtake him. The Moka standing before him now was different. She not only looked different but just they way should stood and acted she was much more elegant and confident. 

"Well now, what was that about making me your woman you filthy half-breed?" Moka demanded. 

"Wh-what is this energy i'm feeling?" Saizou asked. "I suddenly feel like I can't move, like this presence is overwhelming." 

"Well now, are you just going to stand there like a deer in headlights or are you going to come at me?" Moka taunted him. Saizou clenched his fists. 

"Grr, why am I so afraid? I can do this." He charged at her. "Take you your elitist scum!" He shouted. He swung a punch but it never connected. Instead Moka's foot struck him in the side of the face and sent him flying through several trees and landing out of sight. 

"Hmph, thinking of me as one of your common conquests. I am a vampire, I am not won over so easy by the likes of you. Know your place!" She shouted towards where Saizou now lay. There was no response. She then turned back towards Kaneki who was now shaking with his back against a tree and a fearful look in his eyes. It was like he was cornered prey. Flashbacks of that night with Rize suddenly popped in his head. "You have nothing to fear Kaneki Ken, I will not harm you." She reassured him. "In fact if anything I should be thanking you. Because of you I was able to change into my true form and defeat that mongrel. You have my gratitude." 

"Moka, wha... what happened?" Kaneki asked. 

"That, in your hands there." She pointed towards the cross. "That is a rosary, we vampires use them to hide our true form. The seal away our youkai power that is as you've seen otherwise overwhelming. Because you removed it I was able to release my true power. It is curious though." 

"H-how so?"

"Because I myself am unable to remove my own rosary." She answered. "It was created so that I could not pull it off myself, nor should it just come off by accident like that. I find it rather curious, though I do have to admit you are rather interesting Kaneki Ken." She suddenly walked up to him. He still couldn't help but shake nervously. She reached over and took the rosary from his hands. "I hope this doesn't ruin your opinion of me after seeing my full power." Kaneki thought about what she had told him earlier, that many other youkai races feared vampires because they were so powerful.

"No, as I said I have my own experiences like that." He answered.

"That's good. Then please, take care of the other me. I trust you with this Kaneki Ken." She placed the rosary back on its chain and with a clink he watched as her body changed back to normal. The outer Moka then fell over unconscious and Kaneki caught her before she hit the ground. He smiled as he thought that her sleeping face looked cute.

_Moka-chan, you're like me aren't you? You're feared and hated because of what you are and you don't want to be alone._ He started carrying her back to the dorms. _Don't worry, I won't let you be alone anymore._


	2. The Succubus

The next day, Moka was going around the school before class trying to find Kaneki. After the incident the previous day Kaneki had taken Moka back to her dorm and left her a note about what happened. She had woken up a short time later and decided to unpack everything. She had decided to leave early before homeroom the next day to try and find Kaneki. She had searched at least half of the school by now and still no sight of him. She was now out in the courtyard looking for him. She sighed as she was wondering if maybe he wasn't out of his dorm yet. 

Then she found him. He was sitting on a stone bench alone with a book in his hands. He had a far off look in his eyes as they were glued to the black paperback book. They seemed reminiscent of loneliness. "Kaneki-kun!" She called out to him. Kaneki quickly turned his headher direction and she saw his eye blink. 

"Ah, morning Moka-chan!" He greeted her with a smile. He stood up and closed the book. Moka rushed over to him. Then next thing he knew she was moving in very close. "Moka-chan, what are you-" He went quiet after Moka put her mouth to his neck. She had suddenly just began to feed off him and caught him totally by surprise. Of course, it looked like something else to the other students. 

"Gross, they're necking in public!" A girl cried out. 

"Who does that eyepatch bastard think he is?" One of the male students swore in jealousy.

"I'll cut out his good eye!" Another shouted. 

After a brief moment Moka let go of his neck and smiled at him. "Ah, thank you Kaneki-kun that was so yummy!" She said gleefully. "Sorry for suddenly doing that, I haven't had breakfast yet." 

"Ah... it's fine Moka-chan." He responded while managing to keep up a smile. "It doesn't hurt, plus i'm a fast healer." 

"Well i'm glad I don't hurt you Kaneki-kun." She tilted her head and smiled at him.

_How is she this cute?_ Kaneki thought to himself. "I guess we should get to class soon. Don't want Nekonome-sensei getting upset with us." 

"Alright, let's get going." Moka agreed cheerfully. Kaneki put his book in his book bag and walked alongside Moka to class. "Why were you reading out here all by yourself?" Moka asked. 

"Oh, I just read a lot. It helps pass the time." Kaneki answered. 

"Oh? What were you reading?" 

"The Black Goat's Egg by Takatsuki Sen. She's one of my favorite authors." Kaneki told her.

"I think I heard that name when I went to school in the human world but I never read her works." Moka commented. 

"She's a really good horror novelist. She wrote her first bestseller when she was still in her teens." 

"Wow, really? That's amazing!" Moka replied in amazement. 

"Yeah, i've read all of her works so far." Kaneki told her as they continued to class. "By the way Moka-chan, I want to ask you something."

"Hmm, what is it Kaneki-kun?" Moka asked. 

"If you're a vampire, how can you be out in the sun?" She chuckled at his question, causing him to wonder if he sounded stupid. 

"Kaneki-kun, almost none of those stories about vampires are true." She explained to him. "Sunlight doesn't hurt me, garlic is icky but it certainly doesn't kill me, and crosses can only limit my powers in the form of a rosary like this one." She held her hands towards the rosary around her neck. 

"So, you don't have any weaknesses like that?" 

"Just one." Moka replied. "Pure water. It'll drain our power and render us weak and helpless." She noticed Kaneki was staring at her blankly. "What?"

"How... how do you bathe?" He asked. 

"Oh, I have to use a mixture of herbs with the water. You didn't think that I didn't bathe did you?" She asked with a chuckle.

"Well no... but I did get a little nervous there for a second?" He responded while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. 

"Help, someone please help me." They both heard a voice call out softly. The looked towards an area of the woods near them where they heard the cry come from. 

"What was that?" Moka asked. 

"Sounds like someone's in trouble. We should go help." Kaneki suggested as he walked towards the sound of distress. Moka followed behind him as they went to find whoever was calling for help. They soon found someone sprawled out on the ground in the nearby woods. She was a student around their age with light blue hair and a purple hairband atop her head. She wasn't wearing the school uniform however, instead going with a white dress shirt and red bow tie with a pale yellow vest over top. She also had on a plaid short skirt and black dress shoes. She was lying face down in the dirt when Kaneki and Moka found her. They both rushed over to her side. 

"Hey, are you alright?" Kaneki asked.

"Mmm, I suddenly didn't feel well and fainted." She mumbled into the ground. Kaneki helped her up and pet her arm around him so he could support her. 

"We should get her to the infirmary." Moka implored.

"Oh thank you, but I don't need to bother both of you." She suddenly held onto Kaneki and pulled him in closer. "Why don't you take me?" 

"I, uhh..." He stammered in embarrassment. She looked up into his eyes with her purple ones. Moka noticed his eyes seemed to widen a bit.

"Kaneki-kun." She reached out for him. He turned to her.

"I'll take her to the infirmary, please go tell Nekonome-sensei what happened Moka-san." 

"Oh, ok." She replied quietly. She watched as Kaneki took this other girl to the infirmary with her arm around him. _Moka-san? What happened to Moka -chan?_ She thought to herself with a bit of melancholy.

* * *

Kaneki eventually arrived at homeroom. Moka had explained what had happened so Neokonome had pardoned his tardiness. Homeroom proceeded pretty much uneventfully. The only thing out of the ordinary was the new that Saizou was in the infirmary after receiving some heavy injuries. There were rumors flying all around that Kaneki had beat him up for making a move on Moka. He ignored them however, and they weren't the only thing her ignored. After class ended Moka was going to try to catch up with him but he left the classroom without her wordlessly. 

She wandered the halls alone with her head hung low, wondering why Kaneki was suddenly acting to distant towards her. _Was it something I did?_ She thought to herself. _He's not afraid of my other self is he? He said he wasn't and he was fine this morning. Ever since we met that other girl however he's been acting so weird._

"You are a vampire right?" A girl's voice called from above. Moka looked to see the blue haired girl from earlier sitting on the railing of a set of stairs connecting the upper and lower floors of the open hall. 

"You again?" Moka asked, shocked to see her. 

"That's right." The other girl jumped down and landed on the floor below. "My name is Kurono Kurumu, and i'm here to overthrow you Akashiya Moka!" Kurumu declared while pointing at Moka.

"Overthrow me?" Moka asked confused. 

"That's right, you see I am a succubus." She announced. "And it is my mission here to make the whole male student boy my personal army of slaves. Oh boys!" She called out before a mass of boys surrounded her and admired her. "The only thing standing in my way is you Akashiya Moka. All the boys in the school admire and worship you like they should be doing to me. Thankfully I can just my charms on them however. The only boy that seems to stick to you is that boy with the cute eyepatch." Kurumu winked at the mention of Kaneki. "I intend to make him mine." 

"You what? Moka gasped. 

"You heard me. I'm going to make him mine." Kurumu repeated. "I'm going to take away all the boys from you, including your little pet. I'll make him my favorite and all mine."

"No, you can't!" 

"Hi Moka-chan!" Kaneki greeted her as he approached. "Hi Kurumu-chan." He greeted her as well.

"Oh Kaneki-kun, perfect timing." Kurumu greeted him with a wide smile. "I just baked these, here have one." With a snap of her fingers one of her boys brought a circular sheet of freshly baked cookies. Kaneki looked down at them and felt a bit disgusted. He was hoping to avoid eating food to keep up his ruse while at Youkai. However he didn't want to be rude to Kurumu, so he took one with a smile. 

"Ah, thank you Kurumu-chan." He thanked her with a smile. 

"Kaneki-kun-" Moka was about to plead with him not to but he already ate the cookie in one quick bite. 

"Thank you Kurumu-chan, it was very good." He lied. "Come on Moka-chan, lets get to our next class." 

"Alright Kaneki-kun." She replied a bit neutrally. She had thought for sure that the succubus would have put a love potion in there. But it looked as if she had just tempted him with sweets. She walked side by side with Kaneki to their next class. Meanwhile, as they walked away Kurumu was steaming with anger. 

_What the hell? Why didn't the love potion work?_

_Great, now i'm going to have to throw up later._ Kaneki thought to himself in mild irritation. 

* * *

When he returned to his dorm later that day he let out an exhausted sigh. Making himself sick had worn him down a bit and made school feel more difficult than usual. He explained to Moka that he wasn't feeling well and wanted to go lie down. She seemed understanding of that and wished him well. Kaneki liked Kurumu, she was nice. He just hoped she never made him food again. 

"Kaneki-kun." A soft sweet voice called behind him. He almost panicked as he turned around to see Kurumu lying on her side and right on his bed. 

"Kurumu-chan? What are you doing here?" He asked nervously. She moved over to lay on her stomach and gave him puppy dog eyes. 

"Oh, i'm struggling with the homework they're giving me. I don't think i'm catching on very well in class, do you think you could help me study?" She asked with an cute and innocent expression. 

It's only the second day. He silently thought to himself. "Alright Kurumu-chan, just ask beforehand next time. You startled me suddenly showing up here." 

"Yahoo! No problem Kaneki-kun!" She cheered as she moved to sit on her knees. He took off his uniform jacket and placed it on the back of his desk chair. He took a seat on the bed next to her and set his backpack on the ground in between them. 

"So, what area are you having trouble with particularly? We should get the hardest one out of the way first because..." He noticed Kurumu was leaning in rather close and giving him an intimate look. "Uhh, what are you doing?" He asked. 

"Kiss me." He started choking when she told him that. 

"Wh-what?!" He cried out, his face as red as a tomato. She leaned in even closer. 

"Just kiss me... Kaneki-kun." She whispered his name softly. He suddenly got the urge to do it too. He didn't know why but looking into her eyes he suddenly felt very warm and relaxed. He leaned in and got ready to meet her lips with his. He stopped when an image of Moka ran though his mind. He remembered the promise he had made to her just yesterday. He wouldn't let her be alone anymore. He knew that if he kissed Kurumu now he'd be going back on his word. He leaned back and Kurumu stared at him. "Kaneki-kun, what's wrong?" 

"I can't do this Kurumu-chan." He told her in a more serious tone. He had a saddened look on his face now too. "Because I made a promise to someone."

"Ugh, it's that Moka isn't it?" Kurumu demanded.

"Yes." He answered plainly. 

"Ahh! Why?! What's so special about her?!" Kurumu now wailed in anger. 

"Kurumu-chan, I-"

"Don't Kurumu-chan me!" She snapped. "Do you know how many boys I have at me heels, literally begging me to go out with them? Yet here I am with you and you refuse me?!" She suddenly jumped into the air, and Kaneki began to feel fear as she stayed there. Black wings shot out from her back and a black tail grew from under her skirt. He nails grew abnormally long and looked razor sharp. "How dare you Kaneki Ken! I'll make you mine one way or another!" Kaneki looked panicked as she assumed her true form in front of him. He looked around for an escape and saw the window was open. That must have been how she got in without him knowing. Even though he was on the second floor he took the chance and dived out the window. Kurumu gritted her teeth as he tried to escape and flew after him. She flew out into the air outside and heard a snap below. She looked down to see him sprawled out on the ground and with a bent ankle. 

"Ha! Seems like you can't fly. That was a pretty stupid decision you just made." She gloated. Without saying a word he rose on one foot and his other suddenly twisted back into place. Though he still looked like he was in pain he took off awfully fast in order to try and escape her. "Oh great, he heals fast." She muttered to herself as she flew after him. 

Kaneki was running like his life depended on it, because right now it probably did. At best she would turn him into her slave. He ran though the dead woods, hoping the trees would prevent her from getting close. He was wrong however. Kurumu made a few close passes at him, despite the trees being so close. She was clearly an expert at flying and wouldn't let a few obstacles deter her. Kaneki took off for the school as quick as he could, hoping someone would help him. He finally found it as he came across a dirt road though the forest. 

Moka was walking alone down the road, heading back to her dorm. Her thought were all about Kaneki and how he had acted though the day. She was worried that Kurumu would make good on her promise and take Kaneki away from her. He had fallen under her charm earlier but it seemed to wear off after awhile. He also either wasn't affected by her love potion or she didn't try to drug him like Moka had first thought. She also hoped he was ok as he said he was feeling ill. Perhaps she poisoned the cookie and was at him dorm taking care of him. Moka shook her head as she tried to get that image out of her mind. 

"Moka!" She suddenly heard someone call out her name. She looked towards to woods to see a panicked Kaneki running towards her with a furious Kurumu chasing him. 

"Kaneki-kun?" She asked in surprise. 

"Damn it, not you again!" Kurumu shouted furiously as she spotted Moka.

"Kaneki-kun, what's going on?" Moka asked with concern. Kaneki didn't answer as he instead ran into her and seemingly took her to the ground. 

"Now's my chance." Kurumu dived in to attack them both. She stopped when a bright light began to shine off of Moka right before she made contact with the ground. Kaneki landed with a thud next to her, Moka's silver rosary was now in his hand. Moka stood back on her feet and now appeared much different. The Inner Moka stood there with a confident grin on her lips and her fangs bared. 

"Thought you  could take him from me did you?" Moka asked Kurumu and she floated there in awe of Moka's youkai energy. "You made a mistake underestimating a vampire."

"Woah, so this is a vampire's true power?" Kurumu marveled. "Still, I won't let you win. Hyaa!" Kurumu dived towards Moka with her claws ready to strike. What happened next was essentially a game of baseball where Moka's leg was the bat and Kurumu was the ball. Moka delivered a quick upwards roundhouse just in time to connect with the side of Kurumu's head. Kurumu spun through the air and landed on the ground, skidding for a good distance before stopping against a tree. She sat herself upright against the tree and rubbed her bleeding temple. 

"Ow." 

Moka slowly began approaching her, intending to finish her off. "Now, time to rip off those wings for your arrogance." Moka threatened. Kaneki suddenly got in her way and outstretched his arms. "What are you doing?" Moka asked as if he was intentionally being stupid. 

"Moka-chan, please don't hurt her anymore." Kaneki pleaded. "She's learned her lesson, there's no need for further violence."

"What sort of monster doesn't make their enemies pay?" Moka asked. 

"I don't." Kaneki replied. "Besides, I don't think Kurumu-chan was doing this because she's a bad person. If she was then she'd probably be more forceful like Saizou. I think she just didn't want to be alone either." Kurumu stared in shock that Kaneki was defending her after she had tried tried to kill him. 

"Hmph." Moka turned her head away from him and snatched the rosary from his hand. "Very well, but if she tries this again you'll deal with the consequences." He nodded with his arms still outstretched. 

"I'll take that responsibility." 

"Kaneki-kun..." Kurumu spoke softly as she managed to get back to her feet. "Even though... even though I tried to attack you?" He turned to her and nodded with a smile on his face. 

"Yeah, I meant what I said." Her eyes suddenly widened and a smile came across her face. 

"Yahoo!" Despite her injuries she jumped right at him and brought him into an embracing hug. "I've found him! I've found my destined one!" 

"Wh-what?!" Kaneki yelped.

"A destined one is the person whom a succubus is attached to and truly love. They only get one in their lifetime and once they find who they think it is they won't let them go." Moka explained casually. "By the way, that's something you'll have to deal with without me." 

"Great." Kaneki muttered under his breath. 

"Oh i'm so happy I found you! I'm sorry for trying to drug you and attack you earlier!" Kurumu cried out in apology as she held onto him.

"Drug me? You put something in those cookies?!" He shouted. 

"I'm sorry." She back off and hung her head down. "But, I still don't get why didn't the love potion work?"

"Ah, well..." Kaneki rubbed the back of his head. "I can't really say much but because of what I am my body can't break down normal foods. I had to learn how to look like I eat food properly to blend in, so I only ate that cookie to be nice. I actually made myself throw up not long after." He chuckled nervously as Kurumu gave him a blank stare. They bot heard laughter and turned to see Inner Moka giggling away. 

"I normally keep better composure than this but..." She chuckled a bit more. "That _is_ funny." 


	3. Joining a club

"So how's school going?" Touka asked with a phone between her ear and shoulder as she cleaned a mug. 

" _It's pretty good so far. There are some things you have to adjust to though._ " Kaneki's voice came from the other end. 

"Like what?" She asked. She set that mug aside a picked up a new one. She and the other employees were all getting the shop ready before opening. Kaneki had called knowing they would be alone at the time. Yoshimura had talked to him for awhile before asking Touka to talk to him. 

" _Well violence is a lot more accepted here. I got into a fight without any consequences. Plus there's a few students who've gone missing and nothing's been done about it._ " 

"Are you serious?" She sounded shocked and in disbelief. 

" _Yeah, it's kinda dangerous here._ " He replied. 

"You're not in any danger are you?" Everyone's attention turned to her. 

" _No, I seem to be pretty strong compared to some others. Plus I made a friend who's really strong._ " 

"Oh, well that's good I guess." She replied. 

" _How's everyone doing by the way?_ " He asked. 

"We're doing fine here. We're managing to get by with one less person. Hinami-chan even helps when she can." Touka replied. 

" _How's Hide?_ " 

"Don't worry, he's fine." Touka reassured him. "In fact he's actually happy you got a scholarship to a private academy. you should give him a call sometime." 

" _Well that's good._ " Kaneki replied. " _Umm, hey Touka-chan do you mind if I talk to Nishiki-senpai for a bit? I want to ask him something._ " Touka glanced towards the phone a bit irritated but agreed. 

"Alright." She took the phone away from her ear. "Hey Nishino, he wants to talk to you." She shouted. He looked a bit confused but took the phone from her. 

"Yo Kaneki, what's up?" He asked. 

" _Hi Nishiki-senpai, there's something I wanted to ask you._ "

"Hmm, what is it?" 

" _Umm... how do you get a girl to like you?_ " He sounded totally embarrassed while asking it. 

"Oh? Has Kaneki-kun found himself a girlfriend?" Nishiki taunted him. The others all glanced at him. 

" _N-no._ " He stammered in defense. 

"Relax, i'm just messing with you." Nishiki replied. "It want to impress her do something romantic, surprise her. Take her out to dinner or on a moonlight walk. Girls like that kind of stuff." 

" _Really? You think if I surprise her with something she'll like it?_ " 

"Don't worry about it to much, i'm sure you'll think of something." 

" _Alright, thanks Nishiki-senpai._ " Kaneki showed his gratitude. 

"Hey, no problem, and good luck to you little Romeo." Kaneki hung up the phone quickly after that. Satisfied with tormenting him Nishiki hung up the phone. "Ah, our little Kaneki is growing up so fast." 

"Found himself a girl did he?" Enji asked. 

"That's right." Nishiki replied with a grin. "Touka-chan, you were getting rather upset with something. Was that it?" 

"Tch, don't be ridiculous." She dismissed him. "It seems that that priest forgot to mention violence is acceptable there." 

"Hm?" Enji looked over to her. 

"Seems fighting has no consequences and that there's been a few disappearances that no one is looking into. If that kind of thing happened over here it'd be all over the news." 

"I hope he'll be alright." Kaya voiced her concerns. 

"He said he'd be fine. He can handle himself and it seems he made a powerful friend." Touka told them. 

"Hmm, I wonder if that's the girl he likes." Nishiki thought aloud. 

* * *

Kaneki let out a sigh after he hung up the phone. That conversation was worse that he intended it to be. Nishiki would probably never let him live that down. But at least he had an idea of how to impress Moka. In his head he was already formulating a plan. 

"Who were you talking to Kaneki-kun?" He heard Moka's voice from behind him. He turned around to see her in her uniform and smiling at him. 

"Ah, it was just some old friends I worked with." He replied. 

"Oh, so they're friends of yours from back home?" She asked. 

"Yeah, we all work in this coffee shop. They're all... well like me if you catch my drift." He tapped his cheek nervously. 

"Oh, I see. I bet they're nice people like you then too." She smiled widely at him.

_Wow, she's so cute._ He thought to himself. 

"Kaneki-kun!" Another girl's voice cried out. He looked over to his right and the next thing he knew he was being smothered by a pair of large breasts. "Oh there's my Kaneki-kun!" Kurumu cried out. 

"What?! He got her now too?" A jealous male called out. 

"That eyepatch bastard is hogging all the hot chicks!" 

"Kurumu-chan, don't smother him!" Moka protested. 

"Hmph, you're just jealous because he likes it so much. Isn't that right Kaneki-kun?" He was too busy gasping for breath to reply. "See, he's breathless." Moka just stared at her in disbelief.

* * *

"Everyone, I have an announcement." Nekonome told her class. "Today all of you will have to select a club to join. It is mandatory for every student to join at least one club. So you will all have to pick one. I would like to suggest the Newspaper Club, which I am the adviser of." She suggested immodestly. "Today you will all attend a convention where the higher classman from each class will represent their clubs. That way you can get some idea of what club you want to join. Now good luck, and don't don't be afraid to join the Newspaper Club." She winked at her class.

A short while later all the freshman students were gathered in the gym. There were stands set up all around the gym displaying the different clubs. It was almost like a marketplace with the club leaders acting as vendors trying to entice people to join their club. There were so many clubs Kaneki was starting to feel overwhelmed. There were quite a few that were just normal school clubs like film club, karaoke club, and a few different sports clubs. There was also a plethora of different marital arts clubs that were all located near one another in one corner of the gym. 

"Wow, there's a lot of different martial arts clubs at this school." Kaneki took notice as he and Moka passed by. They watched as someone from the Muay Thai club broke through six gravestones. Everyone watching cheered when he made it look easy. 

"That's because fighting is so much more acceptable here. A lot of people create these clubs or join them so they can become stronger and defend themselves." Moka explained. 

"Hmm, well kendo club looks kinda fun." Kaneki looked over and watched two students in protective gear spar. 

"Kaneki-kun!" Kurumu called out. For the second time that day he looked over only to instantly have his face shoved into her chest. 

"Stop that Kurumu-chan." Moka pulled him away before he suffocated. 

"Hmph, you're just jealous that he prefers mine over yours." Kurumu said rather conceited as she waved a hand through her hair. "So, what club are you joining Kaneki-kun?" 

"I haven't decided yet. I was thinking about kendo but Moka-chan and I are going to agree on the same one." He replied. 

"I see... well in that case i'm just going to have to join the same one as you guys." She declared. 

"What?!" Moka was shocked. 

"That sounds fun Kurumu-chan, I hope the three of us can get along together." Kaneki told her with a smile. 

"Me too Kaneki-kun." She smiled back at him and blushed. 

"Hey, what about Nekonome-sensei's club? The Newspaper Club." Moka suggested. 

"Well I always did enjoy reading books. I supposing practicing writing doing journalism wouldn't be bad." Kaneki replied. "That sounds just fine with me, what about you Kurumu-chan?" 

"Fine by me, i'll join whatever club you do Kaneki-kun." She replied. "I just hope there aren't any weirdos there." 

* * *

The following day, Kaneki, Moka, and Kurumu were all gathered in their homeroom after the school day had ended. Nekonome was watching her club's booth as their club president was unavailable during club sign-ups. She had told her students to meet after class in her room ever Thursday. It was now half an hour after class and their club president still hadn't shown up. The three of them were the only club members aside from their missing president and they were becoming increasingly impatient.

"Man, where is this guy?" Kurumu asked, starting to sound rather irritated.  

"Maybe he's not coming." Kaneki suggested.

"On the first day? That'd be rather rude." Kurumu replied. 

"Hey you guys!" Nekonome's cheerful voice greeted them as she stepped in the classroom. The three students all turned to her. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but here is your club president, Morioka Ginei." She stepped aside and a new boy entered the classroom. He had medium length black hair and a red hair band. He was dressed in a uniform just like Kaneki and Moka and stood there with a pleasant smile on his face. 

"Sorry to keep you all waiting, I had prior engagements." He apologized with a relaxed demeanor. "You may call me Gin-senpai. Now, how about the rest of you introduce yourselves."

"I'm Akashiya Moka." Moka greeted him with a smile. 

"I'm Kurono Kurumu, the school's number one beauty." She introduced herself with a great deal of vanity. 

"Hi, i'm Kaneki Ken. Everyone just calls me Kaneki." He introduced himself while waving. 

"Well i'll leave you all be. Please get along with your senpai." Nekonome told them before departing and closing the door behind her. 

"Alright then, let's get to business shall we?" Gin asked. "As you all should know we meet once a week here every Thursday after classes have ended. I want you each to write me an article every week. They will then be edited and published with each weekly edition. We'll be handing them out front for the first edition too so look forward to that. While we meet why don't we decorate appropriately?" Gin reached into his backpack and pulled out a large banner that read 'Newspaper Club'. "Moka-san and Kurumu-san, why don't  you hand it up?"

"Alright." Moka agreed cheerfully.

"Whatever." Kurumu however was still a bit ticked off that he was late to their first meeting. 

"Let's put it right above the board." Gin told them. He went over and grabbed two chairs nearby and brought them to the board so that Moka and Kurumu could get up on them. They each got up on a chair at opposite ends of the front board and held the sign up. "Kaneki-san, why don't you get some tacks to hold it up from Nekonome-sensei's desk. She told me it was alright to use anything we needed."

"Sure thing Gin-senpai." Kaneki obliged. He went over and opened the top most drawer on Nekonome's desk. He found a small clear bin of tacks and took them. When he turned around he stopped in his tracks. 

"Yes, that looks nice." Gin admired. He wasn't talk about the sign however. He was currently bent down trying to peek up Kurumu and Moka's skirts. He had a wide grin on his face as he did it without either of the girls noticing a thing. Kaneki went over behind Gin without him ever noticing. 

"Uhhh, Moka-chan, Kurumu-chan." Kaneki spoke up from behind Gin. 

"Hmm, what is it Kaneki-" Before she could finish the honorific she saw what he meant. She was Gin bent over with a satisfied grin on his face. He stared back at her without changing facial expressions. "Eeek!" She screamed and kicked her right foot back into Gin's face, sending him to the floor. "Pervert!" 

* * *

"Man, I can't believe that guy." Kurumu complained as they were walking down the halls. Gin had decided to end their session early that day and the three of them left together. "What a freaking pervert."

"Thank you for warning us Kaneki-kun." Moka acknowledged him for pointing it out. 

"Ah, don't worry about it. I just didn't think it was right of him to treat you guys like that." Kaneki replied. 

"Oh, what a sweetie." Kurumu lunged at him and for the third time that day began to suffocate him. This time Moka pried her off him and began giving her a speech about decent behavior. None of them noticed the figure stalking them in the halls. 

_You will be mine Akashiya Moka._

* * *

"Hey Kaneki!" Gin called to him. Kaneki stopped in the halls of Youkai and turned around to see his senpai smiling and waving as he approached. 

"Oh, hey Gin-senpai." Kaneki greeted him. 

"Look, I just wanted to say i'm sorry about yesterday and hope we can all put the whole thing behind us." Gin apologized.

"Oh, well if you're sorry than alright." Kaneki replied. 

"Great! To make it up to you why don't I help you out with your first report. Are you down for a little danger?" Gin asked with a sheepish grin. 

"Danger?" 

"That's right. I got a lead that a few of the disappearances around here are connected. I was thinking of going to check it out tonight, but it'll be in the woods on campus." Gin explained. "You're not scared are you?"

_Scared? No, i've been in danger before._ Kaneki thought back to his battles with Nishiki, the Doves, and Tsukiyama. "No, i'm not scared." Kaneki answered with determination. 

"Good." Gin grinned ear to ear. "Then meet me outside the dorms at sundown tonight. We'll go together so it won't be as dangerous." 

"Alright, thanks for helping me Gin." Kaneki showed his gratitude with a smile. He then turned around and headed to class. Gin continued to smile to himself as Kaneki walked away. 

_Idiot._ Gin thought to himself. 

* * *

The woods got foggy at night making the already eerie grounds even creepier. Kaneki was following close behind Gin as the two of them made their way through the macabre setting. Though he had gotten used to the Gothic scenery around the school, the foggy and lifeless woods at night were a whole new level of eerie for him. He kept looking nervously, unaware of where the real danger was. "It's just up ahead." Gin tried to calm his nerves.

"What is?" Kaneki asked nervously.

"The perfect vantage spot." Gin replied casually. "It's right through here." He led Kaneki though two dead and leafless trees. Kaneki followed and saw a stone bridge crossing over a dry riverbead. It looked like a stream once ran through but hadn't in a long time. Gin led him right to the middle of the bridge before he stopped. 

"Gin-senpai, this doesn't seem like much of a vantage point." Kaneki noticed. "This isn't a prank is it?"

"No, but my intentions here are less than honest." He admitted. Gin turned around to face Kaneki. "I want you to stop hanging around Moka." Gin told him. 

"What?" Kaneki's showing eye was wide with surprise. 

"You heard me. You have the two hottest women in the school following you around. I want you to stop hanging around Moka, Kurumu should be good enough for you." 

"It's not like that, they're my friends." Kaneki defended. Gin chuckled. 

"Sure, and I want them to be my friends too." 

"That wasn't a joke Gin-senpai." Kaneki replied a bit more seriously. "You dragged me all the way out here because you want to go out with Moka-chan?"

"Go out with her? No, I intend to make her mine." Gin told him with a wide grin. 

"Moka-chan isn't a piece of property! You can't own her!" Kaneki was starting to get a bit aggravated now. 

"Oh, we'll see about that. Though if you insist on getting in my way..." Gin's entire body began to shake then expand. Gray fur began to grow all over him and he began to grow a snout. His face changed to look much more wolf like and he took on his true form, that of a werewolf. "I'll just have to kill you!" Gin shouted in a deeper and gruffer voice. Kaneki got into a fighting stance and he could feel his ghoulish strength flowing through his body as he sensed danger. "Bwa ha ha, do you really think a weakling like you can-" Gin stopped gloating when Kaneki delivered a swift punch to his gut that knocked the wind out of him. Gin jumped back a few feet to gain some distance. "Ghh, that was pretty impressive. I guess the rumors that you beat up that Saizou guy were true." 

_Not really._ Kaneki remarked to himself. 

"But that won't save you here." In a flash Gin suddenly disappeared. "Behind you." Kaneki spun around and delivered a roundhouse to Gin, only for it to fade though his afterimage. "Over here." Kaneki spun a quarter turn in the same direction and threw a punch though another mirage. "Bwa ha ha ha!" A series of mirages began to appear then disappear all around Kaneki. 

_He's fast._ Kaneki kept looking around, trying to anticipate Gin's attack. 

"You may be strong, but you're no match for me in moonlight. Especially during a full moon." Gin boasted. Kaneki looked up into the sky and realized Gin was right. There was a full moon out and not a cloud in the sky. Though he thought werewolves only came out during a full moon he knew not all those stories were 100% accurate. Kaneki realized Gin drew his power from moonlight and he was strongest during a full moon. He then felt like a dumbbell slammed into his face and he was sent flying to one end of the bridge as Gin struck him. "Just give up already." 

"Never." Kaneki replied as he wiped some blood from his mouth. He started to get back to his feet. "I won't let you treat me friends like you own them."

"Hm, that's a shame. I was going to let you have that beauty Kurumu, but I guess now i'll take her too!" Gin lunged at him.

"Like hell you will!" Kurumu screamed as she swooped down from the sky and slashed Gin across his face and chest with one swipe of her claws. 

"Gyaa!" Gin clutched as his face. Kurumu flew next to Kaneki and hovered there. 

"You god damn pervert!" She cursed at him.

"Kurumu-chan?" Kaneki was surprised to see her. 

"Kaneki-kun!" He turned around and saw Moka running towards him as well. "Moka-chan too? What are you guys doing here?" 

"We saw you and Gin-senpai leaving into the woods and thought it looked suspicious. So we followed you." Kurumu explained. "Good thing we did too." 

"Fine, i'll just take you all on then. Just as long as you become mine Akashiya Moka!" Gin decided. 

"Kaneki-kun, take off my rosary." Moka pleaded. "I'm the only one strong enough to take him on during a full moon." Kaneki needed no further encouragement. He grabbed the rosary on her choker and pulled it off with a plink. Youkai energy began to flow from Moka and her body began to change. Within a matter of seconds Inner Moka was now standing there with a confident smirk on her face. 

"So you're a vampire huh?" Gin noted. "Doesn't matter, I will make you mine!" He lunged at her and disappeared. Moka held her hand straight up and caught him as she was trying to deliver a punch straight down. She held him up in the air like that while he began to look panicked. 

"Do you think that I am just another conquest of yours? That you may own me or treat me like you would any other woman."

"No, Moka-san wait..." He tried to plead.

"Know your place!" She pulled him down then kicked straight up, striking him square in the face. Gin went flying off into the night sky and disappeared with a twinkle. 

"Thanks Moka-chan." Kaneki thanked her as he rubbed the back of his head. Moka suddenly disappeared then reappeared right in front of him with a threatening look. 

"You have not earned the right to call me that like you have my other self. You will address me properly next time, understand?" She warned him and made it very clear she was serious.

"Y-yes ma'am." Kaneki replied quickly and skittishly.

* * *

The next day, Kaneki, Moka, and Kurumu were walking to homeroom together like usual. "I heard Gin-senpai's in the infirmary now." Kurumu informed them. "However it seems he intends to stay president of the Newspaper Club." 

"Maybe we should change clubs." Kaneki suggested. 

"It's too late now." Moka replied. "We'll just have to deal with him and hope he doesn't try that again. Besides, if he does i'll be glad to help you guys out again." 

"Thanks Moka-san." Kaneki smiled at her. 

"Kaneki-kun, you may call me Moka-chan." He stared back at her looking rather confused. "This me and the Inner me are different people with entirely different personalities. The Inner me wants you to call her Moka-san but this me you may call Moka-chan." 

"Oh, alright." He replied. He thought of that as rather strange but said nothing more.  

"Oh, band one last thing Kaneki-kun." 

"Hmm, what is it Moka-chan?" She suddenly put her mouth to his neck and bit him, catching him by surprise again. 

"Hey, how comes I can't smother him but you guys can neck?" Kurumu protested. 


	4. The Witch

"Look, our grades are finally here!" Moka cheered as she Kaneki and Kurumu made their way to the front of a crowd gathering around the posting of everyone's currents grades thus far. Everyone around was talking about their placement. Some were bragging that they made it higher up. Others were berating or teasing those with lower rankings. 

"Wow, you placed second Moka-chan." Kaneki acknowledged. "That's really impressive."

"Thank you Kaneki-kun, you did pretty well yourself." Moka responded smiling at him. 

"Kurumu-chan, it looks like you really do need tutoring." Kaneki joked. Out of 242 students within their class she ranked 232nd. Her response was to fishhook a finger into the side of his lip and tug on his cheek.

"What was that?" She asked in an irritated tone. 

"N-nothing." He manged to say. Kurumu let go of him and he rubbed his cheek. 

"Hey you with the stupid hat!" They heard a gruff male voice shout from behind the crowd. They all turned around to see a group of three boys ganging up on a younger girl. She looked too young to even be in school with them. Kaneki thought she looked to be about Hinami's age. She was dressed in a white dress shirt and plaid skirt with white stockings. She also had on a black cape and witch hat. "What are you doing wearing that stupid thing? Do you think you're cool trying to stick out? Because let me tell you something, you're not." 

"I-i'm not trying to stick out." She tried to defend herself. 

"Please, then why do you wear that stupid thing around? You might think you're high and mighty being #1 but you're not!" Kaneki looked over to the board to see the girl's name was Sendou Yukari. "The fact that you were even allowed to skip to high school disgusts me. You're nothing but a smug little brat."

"Leave her alone!" Moka shouted. The boy with shrort blonde hair who was berating Yukari turned his head to see Moka had stepped forward from the crowd.

"Well well, if it isn't Akashiya Moka. The school's #1 beauty." He said with a grin. No one noticed Kurumu steaming in the back. "What, have you came to save this little twerp?"

"Just leave her alone! She didn't ask for this!" Moka pleaded. 

"She asked for this wearing that stupid hat around, isn't that right Sendou?" He turned back to her but instead was met face to face with Kaneki. He took a step back from the rather serious looking Kaneki. Two of the boys friends joined in behind him. 

"You want to get to her you're going to have to get through me." Kaneki told the boy. 

"Should we get him boss?" One of the two in the back asked. 

"No, this is the guy who beat Saizou. Besides, there's too many witnesses." The blonde boy decided. "Fine, we'll leave her alone." He turned and began to walk away with his two friends. "For now..." He muttered under his breath. 

"You... you saved me." Yukari suddenly spoke up. Kaneki turned around to her and smiled. 

"Yeah, Moka-chan wouldn't let them get away with picking on you and neither will I. You're Sendou Yukari right?" He asked. "They said you were the number one." She nodded. 

"Oh, are you alright?" Moka came over to them. 

"I'm fine, thank you for sticking up for me you guys." She nodded and thanked her saviors. "I know you, you're Akashiya Moka, all the boys are crazy about you. I know you're that boy who hangs around her but I don't know you're name." 

"Oh, i'm Kaneki Ken. It's nice to meet you." He replied. 

"Kaneki-san, Moka-san..." Yukari suddenly jumped forwards and latched onto them both. "I wuv you!" 

"EH?" They both shouted in surprised unison. 

* * *

"Ah, I still have no clue what i'm going to write about for my first article." Kaneki complained as he sat at a lunch table with Moka, Kurumu, and now Yukari who had joined them as well. Kaneki was the only one without a tray of food in front of him. 

"Oh, don't worry Kaneki-kun. I'm sure you'll think of something." Moka tried to reassure him. 

"Hey Kaneki-kun, why aren't you eating anything?" Yukari asked. 

"Trust me, you don't want to know." He answered. Moka and Kurumu had asked the same thing before and they had received the same answer. Kaneki didn't eat lunch with them because he didn't want to make himself throw up anymore and he didn't want his friends knowing that he had to eat humans to survive. He was still new to the yokai world but wasn't willing to risk them finding out. The cafeteria and a few vending machines around campus served something called tofuman. It was a fake replacement for monsters who preferred (or in Kaneki's case needed to) eat humans. It wasn't made from real human so no one got hurt, but still provided the same nourishment as it and a simulated taste. Kaneki thought it tasted rather bland but he'd take it over going to find the real thing any day. Sometimes when he was alone he'd buy some from a vending machine and eat it alone. It satisfied his hunger and wasn't made from anything living, at least as far as he knew. To him it was a win-win. 

Still, he was afraid of what his friends might think or say if they found out he required human flesh to live and function properly. He sure was glad that students weren't allowed to show their true form. Although all of his friends had so far.

"What are you guys doing yours on?" He asked. 

"Dating advice." Kurumu answered. "Tips for how guys to get a girl." Kaneki made a mental note to read it later but not let anyone else know. 

"I'm writing about my transition from a human school to Yokai academy." Moka replied. 

"Wow, you went to a human school Moka-chan?" Yukari marveled. 

"Hmm." Moka nodded and seemed a bit more solemn. "It... it wasn't a pleasant experience." Yukari took notice of her change in demeanor and decided to drop the subject. "Maybe I could help you with your article Kaneki-kun. What kind of stuff do you like?"

"Well I like reading." He answered. "I've been reading books for as long as I can remember." 

"Well why don't you write reviews about books and suggest some to students who need to write book reports." Yukari suggested. 

"That's a great idea Yukari!" Moka applauded her. 

"Yeah, that sounds like something I could do. I'm almost finished with Takatsuki Sen's The Black Goat's Egg so I can do it on that. Thanks Yukari." Kaneki showed his gratitude for her wonderful idea. 

"You have a Takatsuki Sen book?" Yukari sounded surprised. 

"Yeah, why?" 

"Could you lend it to me after you're done? My mom and dad never let me read them back home. I swear i'll return it!" Yukari spoke fast and sounded excited. 

"Sure, I lent Hinami one of her books and she's around the same age as you." 

"Who's Hinami?" Moka asked. 

"Ah, didn't I ever talk about her?" Kaneki asked as he tapped his cheek nervously. 

"It's because Kaneki-kun's into lolicon isn't he?" Yukari asked. 

"Wh-what?!" Kaneki turned a very deep shade of red. 

"I knew it! Now I cna share a bed with you and Moka-san!" Yukari cheered. Now Moka turned a deep shade of red. 

"N-no. That's not it at all." Kaneki replied. "Hinami-chan lives with my friend. She's basically my little sister."

"Aw, that's actually kinda cute Kaneki-kun." Moka replied with a smile. 

"Why does she live with your friend? Where are her parents?" Kurumu asked. 

"They're..." Kaneki thought back to that rainy day with the doves when he cowered behind a corner and could only hold Hinami's eyes and mouth shut. "They're dead." 

"Oh..." The mood around the table suddenly turned grim. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." 

"It's fine." Kaneki replied. "I was there when she lost her mom... I could only cover her Hinami's eyes as her mother was killed right there."

"She was murdered?" Moka sounded horrified. "By who?"

"Someone who hated our kind." Kaneki replied, sounding much more morose now. 

"Hey, let's cut this sad talk out." Kurumu suggested. "Kaneki-kun, if you didn't fight back then i'm sure there was nothing else you could have done. Don't blame yourself." 

"Yeah, Kaneki-kun was brave enough to protect me!" Yukari reminded him. 

"Thanks you guys." He smiled, glad that he had friends who were trying to cheer him up. 

* * *

Yukari was walking by herself back to her dorm after the school day had ended. She strutted along the path back to the girl's dorm with a smile on her face. She had not only made three friends that day but ones who had come to her defense. Being a witch she was not well liked at Yokai Academy. Witches, wizards, and warlocks were species that were on the borderline of yokai and human. Therefore they were disliked by other yokai races and could not reveal themselves to the humans in fear of retaliation. This made the magical species outcasts among other yokai. That was part of the reason she was being picked on earlier. 

She suddenly ran bumped into someone and let out an 'oof'. "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." Yukari apologized. She looked up to see the blonde boy who was tormenting her earlier was who she ran into. He was grinning down at her with a mischievous look. His two friends were behind him and they were both giving her the same look. 

"You had better be careful around here Sendou." He warned her threateningly. "This school can be a very dangerous place." He and his two friends suddenly started moving in towards her. 

"Wh-what are you doing?" Yukari asked fearfully. 

"You know a lot of people disappear every year. I'm sure it wouldn't be seen as odd if a little girl suddenly disappeared." The blonde boy grinned evilly. Yukari began to shake and he reached out to grab her. Then out of nowhere Kaneki got in between them once more. He grabbed hold of the blonde boy's wrist and used the same move that he had used on the Scrapper. He twisted the other boy's arm by the wrist, then kneed him in the elbow. There was an audible snap as Kaneki broke his arm. "GYAAAA!" Yukari's tormentor screamed in pain. Kaneki let go of him and he stumbled back. He would have fell backwards if his two friends hadn't caught him. 

"Kaneki-kun! What are you doing here?" Yukari asked. He turned his head back to her and smiled. 

"I have really good hearing. I heard you in danger and wasn't far off." He told her, pointing towards his head. 

"You piece of shit!" The blonde boy screamed. "I'm gonna fucking kill you!" His body suddenly began to change and he transformed into a lizard man. His two friends behind him began to transform into lizard men as well. The three of them, now in their true form were prepared to take on Kaneki. Kaneki could feel his ghoul strength enter his body. Like an animal sensing danger his instincts took over. The leader lunged at Kaneki with an open mouth, ready to bite down. Though his opponent was larger, Kaneki was still able to send him flying back with an uppercut. As he did so the other two moved in and both swiped at Kaneki together. 

"Eya!" Kaneki shouted from pain as his uniform was slashed in the front in a series of three X shapes. One boy spun with the momentum of his attack and tried to kick Kaneki with his heel. Kaneki blocked the attack and grabbed onto his ankle. With a powerful twist he broke it like the leaders arm and the second boy let out a yelp. He retaliated by hitting Kaneki in the face with his tail. Kaneki was not expecting an attack with the tail so he was unable to block it. He stumbled back a bit from the attack. Meanwhile the third boy rushed in and delivered a couple of swift punches to Kaneki's gut. He fell backwards from that. 

"No, Kaneki-kun!" Yukari cried out. The second boy jumped into the air. 

"This is for my ankle you son of a bitch." He brought his tail down towards Kaneki. Kaneki quickly rolled backwards out of the way and caught the tail before it could even hit the ground. He spun the second lizard man around in a half circle and threw him into a tree with such great force that it knocked over that tree and the second boy slammed into a second tree. The third rushed in while Kaneki's back was turned. 

"Die!" He shouted with open jaws as he went in for the kill. Kaneki spun around quickly and stopped the attack by holding the last boy's jaws open. The final lizard man noticed his teeth were failing to cut into Kaneki's skin, and that Kaneki was holding him back with even more strength than before. Kaneki began to chuckle slowly. 

"Did you really think you could eat me?" He asked. His showing eye was wide and he was starting to lose control. He began to pry open the boy's jaws even further, causing him a great deal of pain. He began to writhe and flail as he desperately tried to escape. "A weak person can't do anything." Kaneki's voice was now starting to change and sound more threatening. 

"Kaneki-kun, stop!" Yukari pleaded. "You won already just stop!" He seemed to ignore her. He just smiled and continued to pry the other boy's jaws open ever further. "Kaneki-kun, please stop!"

"Kaneki!" Another girl's voice called out. This one made him suddenly come back to his senses. He looked past the boy he was holding to see Moka running towards him with tears in her eyes. "Kaneki, please don't do this!" She cried as she ran towards him. Kaneki began to release his grip and the boy fell to the ground. He quickly reverted back to his normal form and took of running. Kaneki stood there in shock of what just happened. If Moka hadn't come by to stop him he would have killed that boy. Moka finally reached him and grabbed onto his arms. "What were you thinking? You could have killed him? Why didn't you just stop?"

"Moka-chan, I... I don't know." Kaneki admitted in a shocked stupor. "I just lost control for a moment and then... Hngh!" Kaneki suddenly felt he pain in his wounds and leaned over towards Moka. She tried to catch him and he tried to grab onto her. In doing so he accidentally removed the rosary around Moka's neck. Yokai energy began to flow from her and she changed into Inner Moka. She quickly shoved him off her and he landed on his rear. 

"Sorry Moka-san, I didn't meant to remove your rosary." Kaneki apologized. "Here." He handed it back to her. Moka stared down at him for a second and did not take the cross from him. 

"Sendou Yukari, would you give us a moment alone?" Moka asked. 

"Alright." Yukari nodded and decided to let them be. She headed back to her dorm. She had enough excitement for one day. Moka watched her go and waited before turning her attention back to Kaneki, who was still on the ground. 

"Why didn't you just come to me when Yukari was in trouble? Why did you take them all on yourself?" She asked. She didn't sound irritated, rather she was confused. 

"Well..." Kaneki now picked himself up off the ground. "I feel like we keep bothering you having to rely on you to bail us out every time we get into trouble. I wanted to take care of this myself for once. I want to be strong too so that I can protect all my friends." He suddenly looked saddened when he explained that, as if he was unsatisfied with his own weakness. 

"Don't be a fool." Inner Moka's response was quick and cold. "You might be stronger than more than a few races here but you are not that strong. The werewolf was easily able to best you." She chastised him. "I however am more than powerful enough to deal with any threats that may arise. Even though you always rely on me to save you I do not mind. I wish to keep the other me happy and I will protect those she cares about. The succubus, the witch... but most of all you Kaneki Ken. She cares about you more than anything." Kaneki was rather surprised to hear that. He knew he and Moka were close, but he did not expect her to feel the same way he did. "If nothing heed my warning. Do not take the burden of doing everything yourself. In the end it will be you who gets hurt." With that she sealed herself once more and Outer Moka reappeared. She fell down unconscious and Kaneki caught her. He smiled a bit knowing how she felt about him. 


	5. Wish upon a star

"Do we really have to come back here?" Kurumu asked with mild irritation. 

"We've been over this, it's too late to transfer to another club now." Kaneki reminded her. Their whole friend group was currently sitting in Nekonome's room waiting for Gin to arrive. Yukari had decided to join the Newspaper Club with her friends as she was previously undecided for a club. She was now sitting at a table with her friends and she had already been well informed about the club president. Thankfully he wasn't late this time. Not even a minute after the club was supposed to start Gin strolled into the classroom. 

"Greetings everyone!" He smiled and waved to them. The others were all less than enthusiastic about speaking to him. "Still sore about last week huh?" He noticed. "That's fine, I can't blame you." He noticed a new face among them. "Oh, and who might you be?"

"My name is Sendou Yukari, i'm the number one student in our class!" She declared with pride. 

"Oh, how cute." Gin smiled. Yukari started steaming when Gin treated her like a child. Though she was only 11 she was incredibly smart and mature for her age. 

"Gin-senpai, Yukari isn't just some little kid. She got pushed up a few grades because she's so smart." Kaneki corrected him. 

"Of course she is." Gin seemed to just dismiss that fact. "Well in order to be part of this club you have to have an article written."

"Here." She handed him her article with a begrudging attitude. Gin took the few papers held together by a paperclip and went over them. 

"Hmm, these are some pretty good tips with study and de-stressing. We can definitely use this, good job." Gin complimented her, much to everyone's surprise. "Alright then today we're going to have to do editing, placement, printing, everything to get ready for when we hand these out tomorrow morning." 

"That sounds like a lot of work." Kaneki commented. 

"It is. So i'll leave you all to get right to it." 

"What?!" Kaneki shouted. 

"Later." Gin raised a hand with his back turned as he exited the classroom, abandoning his subordinates to handle all the work. 

"Some club president." Kurmu remarked angrily as her eye twitched slightly. 

* * *

"Ughh!" Kurumu wailed right before her head flopped to the desk. "We've been at it for hours." 

"Some club president." Yukari remarked sarcastically. "Just say the word and i'll summon an anvil to crush him in his sleep." She said menacingly as she pulled out her wand. 

"No no, there's no need for that." Kaneki quickly tried to stop her. "Sure he's a lousy club president and a total perv, but we shouldn't kill him." 

"Even though he tried to kill you first?" Kurumu asked. 

"Yeah." Kaneki nodded, replying without any thought.

"I like that about you Kaneki-kun." Moka suddenly spoke up. "You're very kind." She smiled at him. 

"Heh, thanks Moka-chan." He began to blush a bit. Kurumu frowned at this interaction. 

"Say Kaneki-kun, how would you like to come over to my dorm and help me 'study'?" She leaned towards him and asked suggestively, putting an emphasis on the word 'study'. "I'm sure we'll be up all night if thats's alright with you though."

"Uhhh..." He stammered and turned a deeper shade of red, knowing all too well what Kurumu meant. 

_Bonk!_

A large iron pot had suddenly appeared over Kurumu's head, crashing onto her below. Yukari stood on her chair with her wand drawn. 

"Back off you big breasted vixen!" Yukari warned. "Moka-san is going end up with Kaneki-kun and they're going to let me share their bed with them." 

"WHAT?!" Kaneki and Moka both shouted in unified shock. 

"Ah, Yukari-chan I don't think that's very likely." Moka tried to break it to her? 

"Why not? You guys are so cute together." They both blushed at hearing that. "Which means I will be allowed in your bed right?" They both blushed even more. 

"Yukari-chan, the thing is you're a little young." Kaneki tried to tell her. 

"So? Don't boys like being a girl's first?" She asked.

"Uhh... why don't we get back to work?" Kaneki quickly tried to change the conversation. Everyone went back to working silently until they were done.

It was dark by the time they all got out. Students normally wouldn't be allowed to stay that late, however about halfway through Nekonome came in and happily informed them that she got permission for her club to stay after hours and finish the first edition. She was much happier about it than they were. There were two things they all agreed on by the end of that. One, staying that late after school was dreadful. Two, Gin was a horrible leader. They could have gotten everything done hours earlier if he had helped. They all ended up looking exhausted as they left. 

"Man, I am beat." Kurumu commented with a yawn. "Since no one's around i'm just going to fly back. See you guys tomorrow morning." She suddenly sprouted wings and began to fly off slowly with a sleepy look on her face. Yukari pulled out her wand and held it in front of her face. 

"Teleport." She recited began disappearing in the blink of an eye. She had set up a teleport spell that would take her straight back to her dorm room. This left only Kaneki and Moka. Though they were tired from so much hard work, they weren't as much as the other two. They were both creatures of the night and were used to being up late. Kaneki decided to take this opportunity. 

"Hey Moka-chan." He turned to her. "I was wondering... would you like to go stargazing while we're out this late?" He asked nervously. 

"Star gazing?" She repeated. 

"Y-yeah. I just figured it's a clear night maybe we could find a spot and just look up at the stars... if you want." He was nervous, turning slightly red and rubbing the back of his head. 

"Ok!" Moka responded with a smile. He smiled back at her and the two of them wandered off together. They went to a field near where the track was. It was a small one with a touch of brown dead grass. The two of them ended up sitting down on the ground and looked up at the sky together. "I always thought the night sky was so pretty." Moka told him. "The way the stars light up the sky, the feeling of knowing how big the universe really is. I enjoyed just looking up at it sometimes."

"Yeah, I remember when I was a kid I had a telescope that I used to looked at the stars and planets." Kaneki reminisced. 

"Yeah, I used to love going to the highest tower when I was young." Moka added. 

"Tower?" Kaneki asked. 

"Yeah, castles have towers Kaneki-kun." She told him.

"Wait, you seriously lived in a castle?" He sounded surprised. He had thought ti discard most of what he knew about vampires before coming to Youkai Academy. 

"Yeah, but not all vampires do." She told him. "Let's just say my father is a very powerful one." Kaneki noticed she didn't want to seem to talk about her home anymore and he decided not to push the matter. "Look!" Moka pointed up into the sky. Kaneki looked up to see a white line streaking through the sky. "A shooting star!" 

"Wow. I guess that means you get to make a wish huh Moka-chan?" Kaneki reminded her. She smiled as she watched she shooting star quickly pass through the sky before vanishing. 

"I wish I could stay happy like this forever." She wished aloud. Kaneki smiled at her. 

"Me too Moka-chan, I wish this moment could last forever." 

* * *

Kuyou closed up his office for night. The day was over and he would return to his private quarters until the next day. The beginning of the year was always slow and uneventful. But as sure as the sun would rise, there would always be some threat he and the Public Safety Committee would have to take care of. They were the defenders of the law at Youkai Academy. A shining symbol of justice that would eliminate anyone who posed a threat to public safety. The same went for anyone who would oppose them. They could not waste time dealing with political maneuvering. Kuyou preferred to deal with things much more directly. Those who had been in the dungeon of the Public Safety Committee building could attest to that. If they were alive that is. No one who went down there came back alive. 

As he made his way down the hall he found Keito, his second in command, waiting for him. "Keito, what are you doing here so late?" He asked his subordinate. 

"I heard the Newspaper Club is starting up again this year. Thought I should let you know." She told him with a mischievous smile. 

"Is that so?" He response was rather neutral. 

"That's right. It seems that Gin didn't learn his lesson last year. He's started up the club again and they're handing out their first edition tomorrow morning." She informed him. 

"Well then, let's pay them a little visit tomorrow shall we?" He decided with a grin across his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait for this short chapter. My laptop ended up breaking and I had to wait for this new one I ordered to arrive. Next chapter will be longer, I promise.


	6. Public Safety Committee

The Newspaper Club was up bright and early the following morning. Gin had set up a table near the main entrance for them. Though that was about all he did. The others carried out the boxes of the first edition that they had worked so hard on. They had plenty of newspapers to go around and they were all ready for the big day. Soon enough students came to school in waves. There was a mass of them outside socializing and meeting up with their friends before class. The Newspaper Club was kept busy with so many people there. However, it was't the newspaper that the students were interested in. 

"Grab the first edition of the school newspaper!" Moka cried out."We worked really hard on it." 

"Hot off the presses! Come and get it!" Kurumu enticed. A large number of male students began to gather around their humble little setup. 

"Wow, the beautiful Moka is part of the newspaper club." One of them noticed. 

"Look, Kurumu is there too!" Another shouted.

"I'll take one." A third boy spoke up.

"Me too!" 

The members of the newspaper club all smiled at one another, pleased that they were doing so well. Students began to crowd around their small table as the members of the Newspaper Club handed out copies of their first issue as fast as possible. Meanwhile Gin stood by behind a tree reading a book. This went by pretty smoothly for quite awhile. After an hour Gin came over to check on them. 

"Hey, how's it going you guys? Are we handing out lots of copies?" He asked. 

"It's going great Gin-senpai! We've handed out over half of them already." Moka informed him. 

"That's great! Keep up the good work." He applauded them. 

"Does that mean you're going to help us out too Gin-senpai?" Kaneki asked. 

"Me? Oh no, I leave this kind of work for my underlings." He relied. 

"So you're going to slack off again?" Kaneki asked with a slightly irritated look.

"Hardly. I have some reading to catch up on." Gin went back to his book. Kaneki noticed the title of it was _The Black Goat's Egg_. He turned back to hand out some more papers. 

"The mother kills the son at the end." Kaneki told him very calmly. Gin's eye twitched slightly and his closed the book. 

"God damn it Kaneki." Gin cursed him quietly. Yukari couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

"Move aside!" A gruff older voice ordered near the back of the crowd. They all suddenly began to despise, giving a wide berth to a group of adults dressed in black uniforms. 

"Oh crap." Gin blurted when he realized who was headed their way. Kaneki looked back to him as saw Gin now looked afraid. Kaneki himself began to worry. The leader of the group, a man with long blonde hair and two dots above his eyebrows, approached their stand. 

"Greetings, I am the head of the Public Safety Committee Kuyou." 

"Public Safety Committee? Moka repeated. Gin suddenly jumped in front of her and the rest of the Newspaper Club, holding his hands out as if to shield them from something. They all watched as Kuyou picked up a copy of their newspaper. 

"Who authorized this?" He asked. "Who gave you permission to print these and hand them out publicly?" After they all remained silent he kicked over their table, knocking a couple stacks of newspapers over and causing them to scatter all about. "Do you have any idea what kind of problems it could cause if you print something that we don't approve?" He demanded. The freshman students behind Gin were all cowering. This activity is illegal and these newspapers are unauthorized contraband. You are to cease and desist, as well burn all of these newspapers."

"Fine." Gin agreed without an emotion. 

"What?" Kurumu shouted. "After we worked so hard on these?"

"I said it's fine Kurumu." Gin shot back at her, clearly unhappy with her outburst. Kuyou smiled at watching Gin submit to his will. 

"I' suggest next time you go through the submission process and pay the fine. We wouldn't want to have a repeat of last year would we?" He asked with a grin. Kuyou then turned and left with his subordinates in tow. Kaneki took notice of a girl with long purple hair as she stared back at them with a menacing look. 

* * *

"I can't believe those guys!" Kurumu complained as the Newspaper Club sat in Nekoome's classroom. "Who the hell do think they are?"

"They're the Public Safety Committee, basically a gang of crooked cops." Gin reminded her. "But don't let them catch you saying that, or else you'll never be heard from again. It's best if we just do as they say and avoid trouble." H reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter. 

"You can't be serous? You want to burn all those copies? Even though we worked so hard on them?" Kurumu protested. 

"We don't have any other choice." Gin shot back. "If we defy them we'll just disappear in their dungeon along with anyone else who speaks out against them." 

"So they're like a totalitarian group." Kaneki noted. "They control the people and any media they may have for their own benefits." 

"Exactly." Gin concurred. "Which means we should just burn these copies and give up." 

"Just give up?! Is that what you want to do?" Kurumu asked in an irate tone of voice. 

"Is it what I want, no. But it's what we have to do." Gin replied. 

"They're nothing but a pack of thugs." 

"You think I don't know that? Trust me, I know _exactly_ what they are." Gin quickly snapped back.

"Gin-senpai, what happened last year?" Kaneki asked. Gin stared at him for a moment, unsure if he should answer that. He let out a sigh and decided to tell them. 

"I guess you could say it actually started two years ago. The Newspaper Club began printing articles exposing the Public Safety Committee for their corruption. They held a vendetta against us for it and wouldn't let it slide. But they didn't strike right away, so we just kept on doing it. I guess that only angered them further."

"Why wouldn't they arrest you right way?" Yukari asked. 

"Because of our old club president, Otonashi San. San is her by the way, not an honorific." Gin explained. "San was a very powerful youkai. Though he'd never admit it, Kuyou knows San is powerful enough to take on his whole gang. But last year San left and I was put in charge of the Newspaper Club. I was the only one they didn't get. They gave us one warning and I was only one who listened, because I knew San wasn't around to protect us. The others didn't listen however. They came in one day and took the rest of the club by force. I never saw them again. I shut the Newspaper Club down for the rest of the year. I opened it up again this year in hopes that we could avoid their wrath this time. But it seems that they just won't let it go. So i'm going to have to shut it own for good."

"So that's it then? You're just going to give up?" Kurumu asked. 

"What else can I do?" Gin retorted. "We're sure as hell not strong enough to take them on."

"What about going to the Chairman?" Kaneki suggested. "He'll listen won't he?" 

"Are you kidding? He's the one who employs them." Gin broke it to him. "Besides, it's pretty much impossible to get an audience with him. The only way he'll see you is if he calls for you. No, the only way to be safe is to just burn it all." Gin made his way towards the pile of newspapers. Kurumu quickly ran past him and grabbed a stack of them. "Hey!"

"No way! I'm not going to give up so easily like you!" She declared. 

"So what are you going to do, go against them? They'll kill you. I'm doing this to protect you guys." Gin retorted. 

"Oh how noble." She mocked. "You're just scared is all. Well i'm no going to be intimidated by them. We worked hard on this and we worked together. This is too important to just give up on." 

"Do you think this isn't important to me? You have no idea what this club means to me."

"Then why not fight for it?" 

"Because i'm not suicidal!" Gin shot back. 

"You're just a coward. I'll show you!" Kurumu suddenly sprouted her wings and took off through an open window in the room. 

"No, don't!" Gin tried to stop her but it was no use. She was already out of earshot. 

"I'll go after her!" Kaneki shouted as he took off running.

* * *

A short while later, Kurumu was stomping through one of the courtyards on school grounds. She had an angry look on her face and a stack of newspapers under her arm. She was mumbling to herself angrily as she walked on alone. "Stupid Gin, trying to burn all of our hard work. Just who does he think he is?" She complained to herself. It was after hours now and most if not all of the students had returned to their dorms. The courtyard was now empty with only Kurumu there. She began to wonder what to do next. 

"Kurumu-chan!" She heard Kaneki call out to her. She turned around to see him running up to her. "Hold on Kurumu-chan!" 

"Why? Why should I have to quit just because Gin says so?" She responded defensively. 

"Look, I know Gin isn't exactly the greatest guy. But I think he's just trying to protect us." Kaneki told her. 

"So you agree with him? Is that it?" She snapped at him. She held the papers to her chest defensively. "You want to just destroy everything we worked on?"

"No... I don't want to just throw away everything we did." He answered with a bit of melancholy. "But what I want more than anything is to protect you guys. I don't want anything to happen to any of you guys. Moka, Yukari, and you Kurumu-chan, I want to protect all of you guys." Kurumu's angry looked began to fade and was replaced with a more poignant one. Kaneki's words had gotten to her.

"Kaneki-kun..." Before she could respond a whit silk-like substance shot onto the papers she was grabbing onto out of nowhere. It was connected to a long sting of the substance that then jerked and pulled the papers away from her grasp. "Hey!" She shouted as they flew away. Most of them fell apart as they flew through the air. The only one that didn't want the one the string latched onto. That one flew to the purple haired woman from the Public Safety Committee. She was standing on a branch in a tree and the silk substance was shooting out of her mouth. She snatched the paper when it was close enough and the white string disappeared back into her mouth. 

"Well what do we have here?" Keito asked playfully, already knowing the answer to her own question. "I thought we made it clear this was illegal contraband. You're in violation of the rules." 

"We don't want any trouble." Kaneki shouted over to her. 

"I'm afraid it's too late for that." She replied as she jumped down from the tree. "We already gave you a warning. But you scum just wouldn't listen would you?" 

"Look, we were on our way to get rid of these anyway. We'll just go through the process and pay the fine next time, we'll agree to do it your way." Kaneki pleaded. Keito smirked. 

"You really think that's what we want?" She asked. "We want you trash to pay for ever trying to defy us!" She suddenly spat out a blob of her white silk. It zipped past Kaneki and hit Kurumu in the neck. The force of i ended up taking her with it until it crashed into a wall and wrapped around her neck. 

"Kurumu-chan!" Kaneki shouted a she was hit. She struggled to pull it off her and free herself but it was no use. 

"Don't bother. There's no way trash like you is strong enough to break my silk bonds." Keito boasted. She spat out another strand that latched onto Kaneki's right wrist. She pulled herself close to him. "Now just die already." 

Kaneki struck first. He delivered a swift uppercut to her gut that was powerful enough to cause her to release him. She spat out that strand of silk and hunched over in pain. "Why you little-" She quickly managed to stand upright only to be met with a quick one-two punch to the face followed by a knee in the same spot Kaneki had first struck her. He then grabbed her by the collar and waist and threw her against the school near Kurumu. 

_All right, this is great!_ Kurumu thought cheerfully. _Kaneki is overpowering her._ Keito managed to get back to her feet. "Ha! You're no match for my big strong Kaneki-kun." Kurumu vaunted. 

"Be quiet." Keito ordered as she delivered a swift elbow that knocked the succubus out. 

"Kurumu-chan!" Kaneki shouted as he friend was knocked out. "Damn you!" He rushed in towards Keito. She suddenly began to jerk and eight spider legs shot out from her stomach. Kaneki jumped backwards as they all swiped for him. Keito began to laugh maniacally. 

"One of the benefits of being on the Public Safety Committee is that we are allowed to use our true forms. This is the end of the line for you." Keito announced. Her face began to change too. Two large fangs grew out from each side of her mouth. She also seemed to grow razor sharp teeth. Kaneki raised up his hands in a fight stance, preparing for her to attack. Keito shot out another strand of her spider silk. Kaneki ducked under it and charged her. She smirked at this foolish move. She quickly shot out a second strand that connect with his left wrist. She retracted her silk and he came flying forward. She swat him to her right with half of her spider legs. Kaneki tumbled across the ground for some distance before she shot out a third strand that hit his right ankle. Keito pulled him towards her once more. She held him upside down by the ankle and kneed him in the face, then punched him in the gut twice. She hoisted him him higher so she could see his face. "Come on, why don't you show your true form? Does this have something to do with it?" She reached down and pulled off his eyepatch. Kaneki looked at her terrified. "Why wear this thing if you have both eyes? It makes you looked stupid." She told him as she tossed his eyepatch to the ground. She then grabbed onto him by the collar and waist, just like how he had to her and threw him towards her left now. Kaneki tumbled some more until he stopepd lying face down. Keito laughed at him as he lay there. He struggled to get back to his feet. 

"Kaneki-kun!" Moka cried out. Keito stopped laughing when she saw Moka running over to her friend. She knelt down beside him and tried to support him from falling on his face. "Kaneki-kun,, are you alright" She asked concerned. 

"What's this? More pathetic trash?" Keito asked with disgust. "Fine, i'll kill you too." Kaneki reached up towards Moka. He took hold of her rosary and it came off with a plink as he fell face down. Keito had to take a step back as powerful youkai energy began to flow out of Moka. "Wh-what?" Keito couldn't believe the power radiating from this other girl. Moka's body began to change as she transformed into her true form. Once the powerful surge of energy subsided Keito stared at Moka's true form. 

"Now, who were you calling trash again?" Moka asked. Keito smiled smugly as began calmly walking towards Moka. Moka did the same and the two met face to face only a couple inches apart. 

"I have to admit, this form is very impressive. I've never seen vampire up close." Keito told the other girl.

"Hurt Kaneki or the others again and i'll make sure you never will again." Moka threatened her. Keito laughed as if it were a joke.

"Are you threatening me? Please, get serious!" Keito threw a punch at it. It just went straight through the face of Moka's afterimage. 

"What was that about getting serious?" Moka asked no standing back to back with the other girl. Keito turned her head in surprise and was not quick enough as Moka turned and drop kicked her in the back. Moka managed to land gracefully on her feet and Keito was sent flying away. She landed face first against a sidewalk. She managed to pick herself up and face her opponent. "Hmph, still up after that attack?" Moka asked. Keito limped closer to her opponent, clearly beaten badly by just that one attack. 

"Damn you, HOW DARE YOU HIT A SCHOOL OFFICIAL!" Keito screamed in rage before shooting a strand of silk that wrapped around Moka's right wrist. "Ha! Got you!" Keito gloated. She tugged but it had no effect. Moka didn't move from that spot. Keito looked surprised. 

"Don't think you can overpower me so easily." Moka tugged only slightly yet Keito still stumbled forward. 

"No wait, we can talk about this." Keito tried to plead. 

"I believe we are already far beyond that point." Moka responded coldly. 

"No, please! Don't-" Keito was cut off when four bright red tentacle like appendages pierced through her. Her head snapped back and she released her grip on a now surprised looking Moka. The four appendages retracted from her body and she fell on her back. She looked where her back was turned to see Kaneki on his knees and the four appendages coming from his back. 

_A ghoul?_ Moka thought to herself. _But i've been around ghouls, I know their scent. Why is Kaneki's different?_

"Don't..." Kaneki tried to speak but was weak. He raised his head and glared down at Keito angrily. "Don't you dare hurt Moka." Keito looked terrified. 

_A one-eyed? No, how could that be? They're supposed to be rare._ Keiko thought in a terrified state. Kaneki then fainted, falling to the ground unconscious. Keito blacked out seconds later. Moka walked over to Kaneki's unconscious body and retrieved the rosary from his hand. 

"A One-Eyed Ghoul." She said to herself aloud. "I never though i'd see the day. You are special Kaneki Ken." She never even notice the figure watching over from the roof.

* * *

Half an hour later the man who had seen everything entered the headquarters of the Public Safety Committee. It was kept dark in there as usual, and the rest of its members were already gathered around the entrance inside. "So how'd it go with the Newspaper Club?" Kuyou asked. 

"Sir, i'm sorry to report that they were able to overpower Keito." His subordinate reported. He was taller than the rest of them and wore rounded shades. His hair was black in color and reached down to his shoulders. 

"What?! How?" Kuyou asked furiously. 

"Through two of them sir. Akashiya Moka, the one with the pink hair is a very powerful vampire and easily overpowered her." He reported. 

"Curses! I'm assuming that mongrol Gin must have helped then." 

"No sir, the other was Kaneki Ken, the only other male in their gang." He reported. "It seems that he is a One-Eyed Ghoul." Kuyou raised an eyebrow. 

"A one-eyed? Hmm, that may be troublesome for us as well."

"Sir, if I may, what's so special about a One-Eyed Ghoul?" Another member with short and shaggy orange hair asked. 

"A ghoul's ranking may vary anywhere from B to S depending on their combat experience." Another large member answered. "One-Eyed's however are S-rank by default. They're far stronger than their standard counterparts by far and have a far higher Rc Cell count. Though they are incredibly rare, some don't even believe they exist." Kuyou smirked at his henchman's knowledge. 

"S-rank by default? Are they really that strong?" The same one who asked sounded surprised. 

"He's right. Though i've never met one before this they are supposed to be very formidable." He turned to his henchman who had recited that information. "You would know about them wouldn't you Yamori?" 


	7. The Snow Girl

"You did WHAT?!" Gin shouted in disbelief. Moka, Kurumu, and Kaneki were all gathered in front of him and explained what had happened the day prior. They were in Nekonome's classroom before classes started that day so it was only them along with Yukari. "Idiots! Now they'll come after us for sure." He cursed angrily. 

"What else were they supposed to do?" Kurumu defended. "If they didn't fight back they would have killed us all."

"Well now they're definitely going to kill us. Even if you manged to defeat their second in command there's no way you could beat the rest at once." 

"She was their second in command?" Kaneki asked. 

"That's right." Gin confirmed with a nod. "Only Kuyou is stronger than her. But he's _much_ stronger than her. Even if we all ganged up on him our chances of beating him would be low."

"Now with the amazing Kaneki-kun and Moka-san they wouldn't!" Yukari shouted out. "I've seen them fight. With their help there's no way we could lose!" 

'Don't get your hopes up." Gin tried to tell her. "You have no idea how strong they are." 

"So what do we do now?" Kurumu asked. 

"The only thing we can do, wait." Gin replied. "We can't do anything outright, so we'll just have to wait and see what they do next. For now i'd avoid traveling alone." He advised them.

* * *

A short while later Kaneki and Moka were walking to their next class together. Yukari and Kurumu were both in a different class at this time so it'd be only the two of them. "I'm really worried about this Kaneki-kun." Moka voiced her concerns to him. "I'm afraid that at any minute the safety committee might jump out of nowhere and bring us all in."

"I know, i'm worried about everybody too." He told her. "But it's like Gin said, we can't do anything now but wait. It's kinda out of character for him isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" She asked him. 

"Well when we first met him he seemed like a selfish jerk. He tried to sneak peeks at you and Kurumu-chan and he tried to kill me for getting in his way. I wouldn't have thought that he would try and protect us from the Public Safety Committee like he is." 

"Yeah, I guess I never thought of it like that." She admitted. "He might be a total pervert, but maybe he's not totally bad." 

"By the way Moka-chan, what happened yesterday after I pulled off your rosary?" Kaneki asked her. 

"Oh, you don't remember? Well my other self pretty much had that other girl on the ropes but you delivered the finishing blow." Moka informed him. 

"I did?" Kaneki sounded rather surprised. 

"Yeah, you let out your ghoul part and stabbed her."

"Wh-what? You saw that?" He sounded rather embarrassed. 

"Mhmm." She smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"You're not... disgusted by it are you?" He asked. 

"By what?" She looked at him rather confused. 

"You know... that I eat humans." His voice got real low on that last part. 

"No, not at all Kaneki-kun." She reassured him. "Normally it's seen as something that more uncivilized youkai such as the monstrels do. But if you can't help it no one is going to blame you. Plus i'm glad that you ended up being a ghoul." 

"Why's that?" 

"Well, you can think of vampires and ghouls as wolves and dogs. Your race actually derived from ours a few hundred years ago. So i'm glad that you're something closer to my own race. Though I didn't think ghouls attended Youkai Academy."

"Why? Because the humans know about us?" He guessed. 

"Yes. Many assume that just because the humans know you exist that your extinction is inevitable. The last race to go was the giants during the 5th century. Not long after that humanity forget that the youkai existed until ghouls appeared on the scene. Unfortunately, because you appeared so late the humans could not forget about you as easily and that's why they've pursued your kind for so long. When you told us about your friend Hinami earlier this year, i'm assuming now her parents were killed by the ghoul hunters."

"Yeah." Kaneki answered, starting to look a little dreary. 

"I'm sorry for bringing something like that up Kaneki-kun, I know how cruel humans can be." She started to looked a little miserable as well.

"Don't worry Moka-chan, you'll always have me here now." Kaneki tried to comfort her. 

"Thank you Kaneki-kun." She looked away as she blushed a bit. Kaneki suddenly stopped in his tracks. Moka noticed after about two steps and turned back to him. "Kaneki-kun? What is it?" She asked. He didn't answer. Instead he turned around towards the direction they had came.

"Who's there?" He called out. "I know you're following us. Come out." Moka felt a twinge of fear, afraid that the safety committee might be following them. Much to their surprise however, the figure that stepped out from behind a column was much less threatening. A pale girl that looked to be the same age as them appeared from her hiding spot. She was dressed in a white sweated with black sleeves, along with a short plaid skirt and striped purple stockings. Her eyes were a vibrant blue and lacked pupils. She also had a lollipop in her mouth. Kaneki and Moka both looked very confused. 

"H-hello." She greeted them feeling a bit abashed. 

"Who are you?" Kaneki asked. 

"My name is Shirayuki Mizore. I read you work in the school newspaper and I really wanted to meet you Kaneki Ken." She told him. "But I was too shy to come out and say anything outright." 

"You... liked my review?" Kaneki asked. Mizore nodded. 

"To be honest I haven't read the book yet. But after reading your review I decided to pick it up." 

"Really? What do you think of it so far?" Kaneki asked eagerly. 

"It's really good, just like you said. Thank you for recommending it in your article." Mizore thanked him.

"No problem. Takatsuki Sen is one of my favorite authors. You should really check out some of her other work as well." 

"Alright, I will." Mizore responded with a slight smile. "It was nice meeting you Kaneki-san. I would like to get to see you again sometime."

"Well we're a little short staffed at the Newspaper Club right now. If you'd like you're more than welcome to come join us." Kaneki offered. 

"Oh... thank you." Mizore thanked him quietly before turning around and walking way. Kaneki and Moka both continued on towards their next class. 

"She seemed nice." Kaneki stated. 

"Yeah, a little weird she was following us though." Moka replied. 

"Yeah. I guess she was just really shy." Moka frowned a bit, secretly not trusting this new girl. She then thought she was being too judgmental and shouldn't think bad things of something she knew nothing about.

* * *

Mizore approached Kaneki later that day as he was headed back to his dorm. 

"Hello Kaneki." She suddenly popped out from behind a tree and startled him. 

"Ack! Shirayuki-san, you scared me." 

"Sorry. Also, if you don't have to call me that. You can call me Mizore-chan if you'd like." She told him while blushing slightly. 

"Alright. So what did you want Mizore-chan?" 

"I was wondering if maybe you'd like to hang out for a little?" She asked sounding a bit nervous. 

"S-sure, alright." Kaneki agreed. Mizore smiled. 

"Follow me." 

Mizore ended up leading Kaneki to a small lake on school grounds. The lake was a crystal clear blue, that contrasted the dull and lifeless forest surrounding it. He sat his backpack down against a tree while Mizore walked up to the edge of the lake. Kaneki strolled over next to her as she picked a small rock up off the ground. She casually tossed it across the lake. It skipped a couple times before sinking into water. "Did you see that Kaneki-kun?" She asked enthusiastically. 

"Yeah, that was a good one." He complimented her. 

"You try it." She told him. Kaneki reached down and picked up a flat stone. He tossed it just like she did and it landed straight in the water with a plop. He looked defeated at his attempt. "Don't feel too bad. I had a lot of practice you know." She tried to cheer him up. 

_Well she seems nice enough._ Kaneki thought to himself. _It's a refreshing change to have someone I meet not trying to kill me._

Mizore stood on her toes for a brief moment as she stared out at the lake. "You know I really enjoy the way you write." She told him. 

"Really? How so?" 

"You write from the perspective of someone who's weak. Someone who's afraid. I can relate to that." She explained. Kaneki began to feel a bit confused. Mizore turned around to face him and stood close. "You and I are a lot alike. We should be together."

"W-what?" Kaneki stammered. "Mizore-chan, i'm flattered but..." 

"But you like Moka right?" Mizore already knew what he meant. "Don't worry, i've taken care of that."

* * *

Moka sat at the desk in her homeroom pouting. She was there along with Kurumu and Yukari, and had already explained what happened earlier that day. "I feel guilty for being jealous but I just can't help it." Moka told them.

"Hey, i'm in the same boat as you. This girl had better not get any idea of muscling in on Kaneki-kun." Kurumu said a bit threateningly. 

"Yeah! Otherwise i'll bonk her on the head, desu!" Yukari cried out. 

"You guys, we hardly even know this girl." Moka reminded them. 

"So? Around here you're better off watching other people closely." Kurumu replied. 

"Agreed." Yukari nodded. 

The door the classroom suddenly opened and all heads turned to see Mizore standing there. Moka stood up from her seat while Kurumu and Yukari both kept their eyes glued to this new girl. They both had a good idea about who it was. 

"Oh, Shirayuki-san. What are you doing here?" Moka asked. Mizore began to make her way in the room. 

"What does he see in you?" Mizore asked coldly. 

"I'm sorry?" Moka tilted her head in confusion. Mizore suddenly lunged and the next thing she knew Moka was on the ground with Mizore's hands around her throat. Kurumu and Yukari both shot up in surprise. 

"What does he see in you? Why does Kaneki-kun like you so much?" Mizore again questioned her. Moka began to choke and gasp for air as Mizore's grip tightened. 

_Crash!_

A large metal pot appeared above Mizore's head and came down on top of her. Instead of making a normal bonking sound it crashed, revealing Mizore to be made out of what looked like a crystal substance.

"Desu, she's made out of ice!" Yukari noticed. The ice Mizore let of of Moka and sat upright on her knees. 

"It's too late now. The real me will soon have Kaneki-kun and take him away from here." With that there was another crash as the ice doll shattered into many tiny ice flakes.

"Oh hell no!" Kurumu replied angrily before her wings and tail came out. She opened a window and took off. 

* * *

Kaneki took a few steps back from Mizore. "What... what did you do to Moka-chan?" He asked in both fear and concern.

"You don't need to worry about that anymore. She won't be getting in our way anymore." Mizore replied. 

"If you hurt her I swear i'll never forgive you!" Kaneki shouted. 

"Why? What's so special about her anyway?!" Mizore sounded a bit upset at that last part. Before Kaneki could reply something came out of the ground behind him and struck him in the back. He was sent flying towards the lake. He closed his eyes and waited for the splash. He instead hit something hard and cold before rolling a few times. When he looked he saw the whole lake had frozen over. He got back to his feet to see Mizore had changed. Her hair looked to be crystallized, appearing similar to the ice he was standing on. Her hands were now also replaced with ice claws. She began making her way across the lake towards him. "Look, now you've made me mad. Why don't you just come with me Kaneki-kun? I don't want to hurt you." 

"Let me guess. You're a Yuki-Onna, a Snow Woman from Japanese legend. You're trying to kidnap me, is that it?" Kaneki stated as he put it all together. 

"Correct. You are very smart Kaneki-kun." Mizore told him. "I don't want to hurt you, not at all. But my feelings for you are very real, and I will do what I must."

"Mizore-chan, that's not-" 

"You bitch!" Kurumu screamed from the skies before Kaneki could explain the errors of her ways. Mizore looked up in time to receive a hard blow to the face. She was sent flying sideways some distance while Kurumu hovered there. "Take that!" 

"Kurumu-chan! Get away from the ice!" Kaneki shouted. Mizore heeded his advice in time to dodge a series of spikes that shot up from the frozen lake. She swooped down and picked Kaneki up as well, flying away a few meters from the ice lake. She put Kaneki down on the ground and glared at the other girl. "She's a Yuki-Onna, she can control ice. She froze this whole lake so right now she has the upper hand." 

"Great, so we can't get close." Kurumu groaned. 

"No, and where are the others?" 

"You know i'm way faster than those two. I'll always be there for you first Kaneki-kun." She winked at him. 

"I won't let you have him!" Mizore shouted. Suddenly a blizzard began to spiral around her and they lost sight of her. The snow storm began to expand until it covered the whole lake. Kaneki realized she was trying to reduce their visibility and go for a surprise attack. He instead honed in on his hearing to anticipate her next move. He heard the ice began to change shape followed by whistling. He managed to push Kurumu out of the way of a barrage of icicles. Kurumu ended up sliding for a few feet but was otherwise unharmed. She quickly got back to her feet. Mizore suddenly appeared from the blizzard with one hand turned into a large ice blade. It was raised above her head, poised to strike. Before she could attack however, a large tree suddenly toppled down on top of her. Kurumu looked back towards the base of the fallen tree to see Yukari standing there with her wand drawn. 

"Got you!" Yukari shouted in triumph. The large tree suddenly began to shake and a dome of ice that Mizore had created around herself began to expand until the tree rolled off. The dome then shattered just like her ice doll had before. 

"Kaneki-kun!" Moka shouted as she ran over to join the battle. "I'm here too!" Kaneki turned to her and ran as fast as he could. He instantly went for her rosary and pulled it off. A large amount of youkai energy began to flow out of Moka as she transformed. Mizore took a step back as she felt it overwhelm her. After a brief moment, it suddenly stopped flowing in such a large amount and Inner Moka now stood before them. 

"So, is this how it is? You want to hurt me even though I Showed you my feelings? I should have know this would happened again." Mizore commented aloud.

"Moka-san, she's a Yuki-Onna who controls ice and snow. So don't get too close to that lake." Kaneki warned her.

"Please." Moka brushed him off as if that was a joke. She began to casually make her way towards the snow girl. Mizore was unhappy with Moka's confidence. She sent four large ice spike at her in all different directions. They all shattered as soon as they crashed into Moka. Mizore looked surprised to see Moka shrug off her attacks without lifting a finger. "Did you really think you had the power to take on vampire?" She mocked. Moka then disappeared from sight. Before Mizore even had time to process that Moka vanished, she suddenly reappeared in front of her and sent a powerful roundhouse towards her. Moka's kick connected with Mizore's head and sent her flying. Mizore crashed into a tree a short while off and blacked out. 

"Wow, that was amazing!" Kaneki stared in awe. Moka brushed a stand of hair our of her face.

"Naturally." She replied pridefully. 

* * *

**The next day...**

The morning following the event had gone almost uneventfully. Kaneki along with Moka and Kurumu had made it to homeroom without saying one word about the previous day. Nekonome called out attendance like usual. However one thing stuck out to Kaneki. "Shirayuki Mizore?" Nekonome called out. Kaneki suddenly had a look of realization on his face after he heard that. Mizore had been in his homeroom this entire time and he had never noticed. Guilt began to fill him after that. He felt bad for not knowing that they shared a homeroom together. Though he was quiet the events of yesterday were on repeat in his mind. One in particular. 

"I should have known this would happen again."

Those words were still ringing in his ears. Mizore had tried to kill his friends, attack him, and kidnap him. Yet he did not believe she was an totally evil person. Everything she had done was, to her, for a  better cause. It reminded him of the CCG just a bit. He thought she was still a good person deep down, she was just lost. He began to think on how he could reach her and show her that she was wrong. He wanted to save her, despite what she had done. He just didn't know how. He wanted to find out what she meant when she said about something similar happening earlier. 

After homeroom ended, the students began to pack up and leave. Kaneki and his friends were near the back of the group departing. Nekonome suddenly placed a hand on Kaneki's shoulder and asked him to stay for a bit. Moka and Kurumu both glanced back at him before departing. After everyone had gone Nekonome got to business. 

"Kaneki-san, I would like you to go and check on Shirayuki-san for me." Nekonome told him.

"Huh?" He was confused. 

"She hasn't shown up for most of her classes this semester and i'm worried about her. I would like you to forget about your next class and go look for her. I'll call your teachers for the rest of the day and let them know." 

"You're wasting your time." A male voice called from the doorway. Kaneki looked to see the same teacher he had met on the first day. 

"Oh, Kotsubo-sensei, what are you doing here?" Nekonome asked. 

"I was passing by when I overheard. You should forget about Shirayuki. She's nothing but trouble." He told his fellow teacher.

"Trouble?" Kaneki asked. 

"That's right. Yesterday she attacked two of my track students. She froze them and they had to be thawed out later. They were in bad shape and had to be put in the infirmary. She'll likely be expelled." Kotsubo explained. 

"Oh dear." Nekonome looked disheartened. "Kaneki-san, please hurry and find her. She's usually either at her dorm or by the cliffs." 

"Like I said, you're just wasting your time." Kotsubo repeated as he turned away and left the classroom. Kaneki watched him go and began to think about he just said. Something wasn't adding up.

* * *

Mizore stood a few feet away from the edge of the cliffs that overlooked the ocean. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks below could be he heard, along with the gentle breeze of the wind. The dead grass swayed slightly in the breeze. To her this was tranquil and serene. She came here whenever she wanted to be alone or needed to think. After yesterday's events, she had a lot on her mind. She had shown her feelings and given he heart to a boy, only to be rejected. She felt hurt and humiliated. This was not the first time it had happened either. She was starting to feel as if she'd end up alone no matter what she did. She didn't have a chance to find anyone she'd truly love. Only the sounds of nature could comfort her. 

"Mizore-chan!" She suddenly heard someone call out. She turned around and was rather surprised to see Kaneki running up towards her. He was waving one hand in order to get her attention. She watched him as he approached. 

"What do you want?" She asked emotionlessly. 

"Nekonome-sensei sent me to come find you. She's worried about you. You haven't been showing up to classes lately." 

"So what?" Mizore snapped. "What do you care anyway?" 

"Mizore-chan, I want to ask you something. When you said that you should have known this would happen again... what did you mean?" Kaneki asked. Mizore turned away and stared back out towards the ocean. 

"Earlier this year, there was someone else I fell for. Kotsubo-sensei..." She began to explain. Kaneki listened closely. "But when I came to him about my feelings... he tried to take advantage of me." Mizore word's were full of pain. "I manged to freeze him and get away, but I still felt hurt. I tried to show my feelings for someone and they just tried to use me. That's what I meant. I ended up being the one getting hurt again." 

"I knew it." Kaneki suddenly exclaimed. Mizore turned back to him with a confused look. "Kotsubo-sensei came into the classroom earlier when Nekonome-sensei asked me to  find you. He told us that you attacked two of his students and froze them, leaving them in bad shape. But I didn't believe him. Even though you attacked me and my friends, you did it because you thought it was for the best. I didn't believe that you would attack people outright like that." 

"You... didn't?" Mizore asked. 

"No... Because- LOOK OUT!" He suddenly shoved her to the ground. A large tentacle swooped overhead. Kaneki managed to jumped back out of the way as Mizore was moved out of its path. She got back to her feet and saw the large tentacle coming from the cliff. 

"Blech, how sappy." Kotsubo's voice came from the cliff. He suddenly appeared from the edge, climbing up using a series of powerful octopus-like tentacles. "Honestly you should have just listened to me and let her get expelled. It would have been much easier that way." 

"You... you tried to frame me." Mizore began to realize. 

"Please, you came onto me then wouldn't let me get what I wanted. You god damn tease." Kotsubo's response was cold and spiteful. "Now i'm going to drag you both to the bottom of the ocean." He sent out two tentacles to grab Mizore. She was frozen in fear as he went to grab her. It was Kaneki who jumped in the way and stopped him. Realizing he no longer had a choice, Kaneki let out his kagune. Two of his own tentacle-like appendages wrapped around Kotsubo's and locked with them. Their strength matched and they were both in a deadlock. "What?" Kotsubo was surprised to see Kaneki's strength. He looked to his opponent and tried to process how he was so strong. Then it came to him and he grinned. He noticed Kaneki's eyes had not changed. "I see now, that eyepatch... you're a One-Eyed Ghoul aren't you?" 

"That's right." Kaneki replied. 

"Good. Then give me a bit of a challenge before your death." Kotsubo ordered him. He sent out four more tentacles towards the young boy. Kaneki had to use his other two rinkaku to block four tentacles. They attacked in a quick and random barrage that kept Kaneki on his toes. 

"Enough!" Kaneki's kagune that was wrapped around Kotsubo suddenly lifted him up by the tentacles. In a whip like motion he swung the gym teacher into the air then slammed him to the ground. There was a cloud of dust created around the impact and Kotsubo's tentacles retracted. Kaneki panted and tried to catch his breath. Then a single tentacle suddenly snapped out and struck Kaneki in the face. He flew backwards some distance behind Mizore who just sat there and watched helplessly. "Bastard!" Kotsubo cursed. Kaneki managed to get to his knees to see someone running towards him, right on time as usual. 

"Kaneki-kun!" Moka shouted. Kaneki sent on of his kagune appendages towards her. She stopped stunned before it wrapped around her rosary and yanked it off. Powerful youkai energy began to flow out of her in a fantastic and overwhelming manner. Kotsubo watched in awe to see her take on her true vampire form. Silver haired Inner Moka now took the place of her other self, standing there with a confident look. 

"That was clever." She complimented Kaneki before casually making her way towards the gym teacher. "Honestly, you call yourself an educator? How dare you." 

"How dare I? You have a lot of nerve." Kotsubo retorted. He sent out a single powerful tentacle towards her. She suddenly vanished before it made contact. She reappeared right in front of Kotsubo and stomped on the tentacle he had tried to attack her with. He tried to retract it and lift it up but his attempts were fruitless. Moka was overpowering him with just one leg. He suddenly looked terrified. Moka pushed herself up with the leg holding him down, and with the other gave him a powerful kick to the jaw. His head snapped back and he was sent flying off the cliff.

"Know your place!" She scolded. Inner Moka then turned back to the other two. 

"Thanks Moka-san, I really owe you again." Kaneki thanked her. Moka then turned her attention towards the other girl. Mizore turned away coldly.

"If you're expecting some kind of apology i'm not in the mood." 

"Excuse me?" Inner Moka began to move in on Mizore. She only stopped when Kaneki jumped in the way. 

"Hold on." He pleaded.

"What is it Kaneki Ken?" She asked him.

"Moka-san, please let me try and talk to her first. I think we can avoid any more violence today." Moka eyed him for a moment before giving her response. 

"Very well." Moka decided. Kaneki turned around to Mizore. 

"Mizore-chan, you were right the other day when you said I write from the viewpoint of someone who is weak and alone. After my parents died all I felt was weak and alone." Both girls gave him surprised looks as he revealed the fate of his parents. "That's why I sit alone and read, it's because of those feelings. But I also had my best friend Hide there for me. Whenever he was around I never felt alone. Then I made more friends and found a place I belong, and I didn't feel as alone anymore. So I know what you're going through and how you feel. But you don't have to be alone. Because i'll be your friend, and i'm sure the others will too if you give them a chance. So, what do you say?" Mizore's mouth was slightly open and she looked very touched by his speech. 

"Yes." She said quietly. "Yes, Kaneki-kun. I would like to be your friend." She agreed. Kaneki smiled at her, glad that he was able to reach her finally. 

"You." Moka suddenly spoke up. Mizore turned her attention to Inner Moka. "Leave us, I wish to have a few words with Kaneki in private." Mizore nodded and turned to Kaneki one last time. 

"I'll see you tomorrow Kaneki-kun." Mizore parted with that, leaving Kaneki and Moka alone by the cliffs. Kaneki turned to the vampire. 

"So, what did you want to talk about Moka-san?" Kaneki asked. 

"You are aware that I saw your true form yesterday. That is to say I am aware of your identity as a One-Eyed Ghoul too." Moka began. "Your kind are very rare you know. I am curious as to your race. Where did you come from? Do you have a home realm like the others?" 

"Well..." Kaneki wasn't sure what to tell her. "This will stay between us right?" 

"That is correct." Moka confirmed. 

"Well you see... I wasn't born a ghoul... I was born human." He explained. Moka looked shocked. "One day I went on a date with this girl, but when I took her home she attacked me. She was a ghoul and she tried to eat me. She chased me into a construction site where she tried to finish me off. But then there was an accident and some steel beams fell on her. I survived but was badly injured. When I woke up at the hospital I found out they gave me a kidney transplant from that girl. After that I was no longer able to eat the same foods anymore. I only craved humans, and I developed the eye, and inherited the same kagune as her too. That's why on the first day I asked what if I was human, because I was. Yet I still want to try and hold onto my humanity as much as I can. Despite the accident." There was a brief moment of silence after Kaneki came out with this information, afraid of what she would say. It wouldn't be what he wanted to hear. 

"Impossible." Moka stated.

"W-what?" Kaneki asked. 

"It seems that you do not know much about your own biology so let me explain. Ghouls can not be hurt through most normal means or weapons. A sword or gun would have no affect on you the way it would most other races." 

"Yeah, I know that." Kaneki replied. 

"Then tell me this. How could a scalpel cut through a ghoul and remove one of their kidneys to transplant into you?" Kaneki was silent for a moment. HE tried to think of an explanation but none came to him. It didn't make sense. "Not only that, but even if it worked a kidney would not be enough to transform you like this. That could only be achieved if a kakuhou was successfully transplanted." 

"Moka-san, what are you saying?" Kaneki asked, desperately hoping she meant something else. 

"I'm say that your becoming a ghoul was no accident. Whoever preformed your surgery knew full well what they were doing." Moka told him outright. Kaneki looked utterly stunned. He had spent all of this time thinking what happened to him was a turn of bad luck. No, it was planned. Even if the accident with Rize was just that, an accident, the surgery was not. Kanou knew about this the whole time. He knew Kaneki would become a ghoul and never told him about it. He was nothing more than some mad doctor's experiment. Kaneki's fists clenched as he came to realize this. He hadn't lost his humanity, it was stolen from him. 

"I apologize if this upsets you, but you should know the truth." Moka's voice snapped him out of his trance. He shook his head and looked back at her. 

"No, it's fine. Thank you for telling me this Moka-san." He handed her her rosary back and she fixed it to her collar once more. Kaneki caught her as she changed back to Outer Moka and fainted. Neither one of them knew of the figure dressed in black that listened in the whole time. On a small step on the cliffs a member of the Public Safety Committee stood eavesdropping. He was holding an unconscious and half transformed Kotsubo. The man grinned. 

"That's all I needed to hear." 


	8. Metamorphosis

Kuyou entered the headquarters of his committee the next morning with his subordinates all there waiting. They all bowed to him at once as he entered. "Rise." he commanded. They all stood upright once more as he stood there to address a few things. "What are today's reports?" 

"Sir, I have something on one of the newspaper club members." A man with short black hair and glasses reported. 

"What is it?" Kuyou asked.

"It's about the One-Eyed Ghoul sir. I heard him admit yesterday that he was born human." 

"What?" Kuyou sounded a bit disgusted. 

"According to him he was born human and surgically changed into a ghoul, which is why he only has the one eye sir." The subordinate clarified. 

"Tch, disgusting. To think someone human at all was allowed to attend this school." Kuyou remarked.

"What is your choice of action sir?" The same man asked. Kuyou thought for a moment as this could be a tricky situation. If he could have his way he'd drag Kaneki right down to the dungeon just for being born human. To Kuyou once a human, always a human. Even if they were turned into youkai they still kept their same corruptible human mindset, usually giving into the power. To him this boy was a liability to everyone in the school and should be dealt with. However being that he was no longer human could give for some room to debate. He was no longer human anymore, and to some that's all that mattered. He normally wouldn't care but if the chairman caught wind of this it may not go over well. 

In the end Kuyou was working for the chairman of the school. His word was the law, and it was Kuyou's job to enforce those laws. However, this legal matter was in the gray. It was unclear what he should do about the One-Eyed Ghoul. He wouldn't bother the chairman over such a trivial matter. He felt he was more than competent enough to deal with this on his own. It was just a matter of picking his next move carefully. 

"Sir, if I may." Yamori spoke up. "Bring him in and give him to me. I'll make him decide what he truly is." Yamori grinned menacingly and Kuyou knew exactly what he meant by that. 

"Very well. Bring him in immediately." Kuyou ordered. 

"Sir!" The others all shouted in unison. They all went to leave when Kuyou put his hand on the shoulder of the one who reported on Kaneki. He waited for the others to leave before speaking. "Keep an eye on Yamori for me, I have suspicion that he is secretly working for another group." 

"Yes sir, understood." The man replied.

* * *

Kaneki, Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari were walking down the halls together during their free time between classes. The hall was hustling and bustling with the student traffic. Everyone was moving to and from classes of their own, making the halls a bit crowded as they all walked together. "We should have lunch outside today, it's so nice out." Kurumu suggested. 

"That sounds like a great idea." Moka agreed cheerfully. 

"Hey you guys!" Gin called out as he waved to them.

"Ah, hello Gin-senpai." Kaneki greeted him. 

"How's it going?" Gin asked his club members. 

"It's going great Gin-senpai. We were talking about eating lunch outside today since it's so nice." Moka told him. 

"Sounds great, mind if I join you?" 

"Only if you promise to behave." Kurumu told him sternly. 

"Come on, you don't trust your club president?" He responded smoothly. 

"No." Kurumu's answer was short and too the point. 

"Look out!" The heard one of the students shout. The group of them all turned to see all the students in the hall living up to either side to allow the Public Safety Committee to pass. They scared the students into submission without even having to say one word to them. The Newspaper Club members all tensed as they saw the Public Safety Committee headed their way. Whatever was going n, it couldn't be anything good. The committee stopped a few feet from the Newspaper Club. All of them but Gin looked terrfired. He however, was determined to try and protect his club. 

"What do you want Kuyou?" Gin asked unwavering. Kuyou ignored him and turned his attention to Kaneki. 

"Kaneki Ken, come with us. We are taking you into custody." Kuyou ordered him. The girls around him all looked stunned. Kaneki himself was suddenly filled with dread. He already knew what going with them meant. The Public Safety Committee earned their reputation for a reason after all.

"What are the charges?" Gin demanded. Kuyou smiled wickedly. 

"On the charges of being human." He replied. Gin took and step back and Kaneki's friends all looked shocked. Whispers began to go around immediately. Talk of Kaneki being human. Was it true? How could it be? Rumors began to start up already and uncertainties were all around. No one was sure of anything. Kaneki's friends all stared back at him with horrified looks. 

"No, it can't be true." Kurumu denied. "You're wrong, you must be!" 

"Would you like to join him?" Kuyou asked with a grin. Kurumu started to tear up. Kaneki was about to be taken away from her and there was nothing she could do. She considered right then fighting back. 

"Kurumu-chan." Kaneki got her attention. She turned back to him quickly. He was forcing himself to smile. "Don't worry about me. You just stay safe." He told her. He made his way past his friends and face the gang in front of him. "Alright, i'll come with you. Just leave my friends alone." 

"Don't presume that you can negotiate with me." Kuyou shot back. "We're only here for you anyway, now let's go. He turned to leave and his subordinates boxed Kaneki in so that it was impossible to run. He walked in the middle of their group as they took him into custody and led him back to their hideout.

* * *

"Damn it! How could I have trusted him?!" Gin shouted in frustration as he slammed his fist down on a table. "To think that he was a human this whole time." 

"No, it's a lie, it must be!" Kurumu refuted. "There's no way he could be a human. How could he even get in here?"

"I don't know but you heard Kuyou. Kaneki is a human." Gin reminded her.

"Impossible." Mizore suddenly appeared from under a desk nearby. Everyone all all jumped as she made her presence known. 

"Mizore-chan, what are you doing here?" Moka asked in surprise. "Did you cut your hair?" Moka noticed that Mizore's long hair was now cut short. 

"Yes, I did." Mizore replied. "But Kaneki-kun can't be a human. He's a ghoul, I know that for a fact. I saw it yesterday when he fought off Kotsubo-sensei. He called Kaneki-kun a One-Eyed Ghoul for some reason though." 

"Really? A One-Eyed Ghoul?" Yukari asked enthusiastically. "No way, I can't believe it! I wish I would have known that. There's so much I want to ask him now." 

"Why? What's so special about him having one eye?" Kurumu asked. 

"No, not one-eyed in that sense. It means he only has one kakugan, or ghoul eye. One-Eyed Ghouls are a very rare race and almost nothing is know about them. They're also supposed to be incredibly strong, much more so than their normal counterparts." Yukari explained. "There's so much I want to know now." 

"Umm, I know something." Moka spoke up nervously. "My other self asked Kaneki about it yesterday. He told me that he was in fact born a human. But then one day there was an accident involving a ghoul and he had a transplant done due to his injuries. After that he was no longer human. He thought it was a kidney that was transplanted at first, but then I explained to him how that wouldn't be possible." 

"So that's why he's only got one ghoul eye." Yukari understood. 

"Come to think of it he did seem a little out of it this morning." Kurumu recalled. "That must have been why."

"If that's the case then I actually feel kinda bad for him. " Gin admitted with a sigh. "It's hard for humans to make the change to a youkai. But to become one that has to eat humans, that must have been difficult."

"But if he's not human anymore how can Kuyou arrest him?" Kurumu asked. 

"I don't know, but I don't like this. I feel like he's trying to play some sort of angle." Gin speculated. "Perhaps he's trying to incite us to attack them. In which case things would play into his favor. I think it's best if we just wait this out."

"NO!" Kurumu shouted almost immediately. "I am not just going to sit by and let them take him away!" 

"Easy." Gin tried to calm her.

"Kurumu-san, please calm down." Moka pleaded. "We can't get worked up and fall apart now, Kaneki-kun wouldn't want that." Kurumu tried to think of a response but nothing came. Moka was right, Kaneki wouldn't want his friends all arguing and losing their heads over him. He was the kind of guy that would sacrifice himself to protect his friends. However that also worried Kurumu too. She knew Kaneki could very well be trying to take all them heat off them and burden it himself. She didn't want that. She knew Kaneki was strong, but he wasn't invincible. Everybody had their limits. Now she could only wait for what to do next. 

"I think we should just wait this out for awhile." Gin told the others. "We don't want to do anything too hasty and play right into Kuyou's hands."

"What if that's not what he's trying and he actually is taking Kaneki as one of their prisoners?" Mizore asked. 

"If that's the case, i'm afraid there's not much we can do anyways."

* * *

The basement of the headquarters of the Public Safety Committee were dark and dank. There were only a few dimly lit bulbs that were pretty spaced out, giving off very little light. The wall seemed to be made out of stone bricks that looked black in the atmosphere of the hall. For Kaneki it was very unsettling. He was following right behind Kuyou and Yamori. The others had all dispersed when they began to descend downstairs. Kaneki had already witnessed some of the horrors of that place already. People crying out to be released, stating that they did little to provoke the safety committee at all. One student begged Kuyou to release him only to be burnt to a crisp by Kuyou's fire powers. 

It didn't take much on Kuyou's part. He simply pointed at the boy and a large amount of fire short forth from his fingertip and cooked the student. Kuyou felt nothing as he did it and he was stonefaced as he murdered the boy. Kaneki was horrified, and neither one of them took notice of the smile on Yamori's face. There had also been a few cells that they passed by in the lower levels. Other students chained up and with ratty and torn uniforms were chained up alone in those cells. A few moans could be heard but most were too weak or broken to make a sound. Eventually they came upon a heavy iron door where they stopped at. "I'll leave him to you from here." Kuyou told Yamroi. "Make sure we get an answer from him." 

"Don't worry, I will." Yamori responded coldly as he looked back towards Kaneki. Kaneki suddenly felt gripped by fear at the way Yamori looked at him. It was like a predator stalking it's prey. Kuyou then left with his footsteps echoing down the halls. Yamori opened the heavy iron door with a loud creak. "Go in, step inside." He calmly ordered the boy. Kaneki listened obediently and entered. The inside of the room had a white and black checkered floor and plain gray walls. There was a single wooden chair in the center of the room, along with a metal cart near it. As Kaneki took a few steps inside Yamori closed the door behind them. "Have a seat." He told Kaneki politely, as if it were a casual meeting. Kaneki walked over to the wooden chair and sat down in it, with Yamori following behind him. After Kaneki sat for a brief moment Yamroi reached under the arm rest and cuffed Kaneki in. He went over to the other side and did the same this with his other arm. Kaneki began to hyperventilate as he panicked. 

"Wh-what are you going to do to me?" Kaneki asked skittishly. 

"I'm just here to find out a few things about you." Yamori replied calmly. He went over to the metal cart near the table and grabbed a syringe full of a red and black liquid. "Do you know what this is?" 

"N-no." Kaneki answered. 

"It's Rc suppressant. It's used by the CCG when they want to get answers from us." Yamori told him. 

"Us?" Kaneki repeated. 

"That's right. I'm the same as you are Kaneki Ken. Well, not exactly as i'm not a one-eyed." Yamori informed him. 

"But... I thought syringes don't work on us." Kaneki asked. 

"Oh, they do, but only in one spot." Yamori bent down towards him and pulled down on his lower right eyelid. "In the mucus of the eye. Now then, shall we get started?" He jammed the needle right under Kaneki's left eye. 

"GYAAAAAA!" Kaneki let out a pained scream as the needle was injected into him. Yamori watched with glee as Kaneki's kakugan came out then disappeared soon after. 

"There, now you're as weak as a human." Yamori reached for a pair of metal clippers. "Now the real work begins." 

The next few hours were nothing but pain for Kaneki. Yamori was brutal and went right to work. He first severed all of Kaneki's toes, then broke all his fingers with a hammer. Kaneki could only scream, he couldn't even beg for it to stop. Yamori threw all his severed toes into a bucket and waited for the Rc suppressant to wear off. Once it did he injected Kaneki again in the same painful and sensitive spot. He then repeated the same process all over again. By the end of the day he had a bucket full of severed toes, and Kaneki was left a crying mess. He decided to leave there and pick up again tomorrow, leaving Kaneki alone in that room for the night.

The next few days went much the same way. If they were even days, Kaneki had no idea how long he was down there. It could have been hours, days, weeks, he had no idea. HE hardly slept. The pain and mental trauma kept him up at night. He cried alone wishing that someone would come as save him from that nightmare. He also cried when Yamroi inflicted massive amounts of pain on him. If pain could be measured in numerical values, Kaneki was sure he must be setting some kind of record. Every day Yamori came up with some new way to torture him. Kaneki had both his legs broken multiple times. He had his feet left over a burner until his nerves burnt to the point where he could no longer feel pain. Yamroi had also connected him to the building's power supply and one point and tested Kaneki to see how long he could last. Every day the nightmare continued.

One of the worst was about a week after he was brought in. Kaneki's uniform had been torn and tattered by this point. His jacket was gone and he was left in a t-shirt that was so dirty that it hard turned black. His beige pants had been torn and burn so now they reached to about his knees. He was also barefoot as he sat there trapped. His hands were now cuffed together behind his back and his ankles were also cuffed together. The roots of his hair were turning white, leaving it about half white at its current state. The heavy metal door opened and he heard a couple of people being shoved in. He looked up to see Yamori had brought two girls into the room with him. They were both in tattered green dressed and looked similar to each other. Both had long hair but one's hair color was green with a braid around the back of her head while the other's was pink. 

"We're going to play a little game today Kaneki." Yamori told him. He walked over and grabbed each girl by the back of their hair. Both gave pained looks as he tugged on them. "These two girls are both fairies who thought it'd be cute to talk bad on the Public Safety Committee. We decided to teach them a lesson, but i'm leaving their fate up to you."

"What... do you mean by that?" Kaneki managed to ask. 

"These two are twin sisters, and you're going to choose which one lives and which one dies." Kaneki looked horrified after Yamori explained that. He grinned wickedly as the two girls both looked at him crying. 

"Please, save my sister. Let me die." The green haired one pleaded. 

"No, kill me instead! It's my fault that we're here." The pink one responded. 

"I... I..." Kaneki was at a loss of words. The lives of two people rested in his hands and he had no idea what to do. He wanted neither one of them die. 

"Well, what's it going to be?" Yamroi asked. 

"I don't know! Please, don't make me do this!" Kaneki shouted. 

"Very well." Yamori replied calmly. Kaneki stared at him for a moment as he was unsure of what just happened. Yamor released his grip on them and they both fell to the floor. The green haired girl reached for her sister.Before she could reach however, Yamori let out his kagune. A scaled rinkaku pierced through the pink haired sister and held her her body sitting up. The living sister looked horrified as she watched the light leave her only sister's eyes. 

"NO!" She shouted in horror. Yamori threw the dead girl to the ground and put the other one in a headlock. 

"If you can't decide who lives i'll just kill them both." He decided. 

"No!" Kaneki pleaded fruitlessly. There was a loud snap as Yamori broke the other girl's neck. He left go and her body fell limp to floor. Her lifeless body seemed to be staring at her dead sister. Kaneki could only watch with his mouth agape in shock. 

"See, this is what happens to a weak person. You can't save anyone." Yamori told him with a clear example. "You are weak Kaneki Ken, and you always will be." 

* * *

**One week later...**

Kaneki let out an anguished cry as Yamori broke his ankle once more. They had been at this all day. He had constantly been breaking Kaneki's bones all day. He had just used a sledgehammer and broken both of Kaneki's ankles against a wooden block. He was also using an old method he had learned from experience. 

"What's 500 minus 200?" He asked. 

"3... 300." Kaneki answered. Yamori broke his leg at the knee and Kaneki screamed.

"480 minus 260?" 

"Two twenty." Kaneki replied. Yamori broke the other leg with the same response. Another agonized scream came out of Kaneki's mouth. "Wh-what do you want from me?"

"What do I want?" Yamori repeated as he lowered the hammer. "I want an answer from you Kaneki. Are you a ghoul or are you a human?" 

"I..." Kaneki stammered. Yamori raised the hammer above his head. He came down swinging, aiming for Kaneki's rib's

"I"M HUMAN!"

Yamori's swing stopped an inch away from Kaneki who was now shaking. Yamori took a step back from the white haired boy and set the sledgehammer down. 

"That's a shame. That means you'll have to be executed now." Yamori told him. "But look on the bright side, I got you a gift for finally managing to come clean." Yamori reached down for something on the bottom of his cart. Kaneki saw a jar with something crawling around inside it.

"Wh-what is that?" Kaneki asked. 

"This is a Chinese red-headed centipede. Since you're hands are a little tied up at the moment i'll just put it in your ear instead." Kaneki looked terrified once more.

"No." He whispered softly. Yamori reached into the jar and pulled out the centipede by the tail. He brought it close and Kaneki felt fear overflowing from within. Yamori shoved the centipede into his ear and began to wrap it up for good measure. Kaneki let out a blood curdling scream as the centipede wriggled and bit the inner parts of his ear. After awhile Kaneki noticed he was no longer screaming but laughing. 

* * *

Kuyou was outside waiting when Yamori left the room with Kaneki still laughing manically. Yamori pulled a small handkerchief out of his black coat and wiped his hands with it. "How far are you with him?" Kuyou asked.

"He's decided to stick with his humanity." Yamori answered. 

"Then it's decided. Tomorrow we'll burn him publicly for all to see. After that we'll pick off the Newspaper Club one by one. Gin can go last and watch his friends die all over again." Kuyou decided. Yamori smiled with the satisfaction that came with that. 

* * *

Even since Kaneki was taken prisoner the Newspaper Club traveling together. They were all afraid of being taken next when no one was looking. Though they couldn't always travel as one large group, they did what they could to always have someone else nearby. They were currently all gathered around a table outside during lunch. They were all silent too. They didn't talk much anymore. Kaneki's abduction weighed heavily on all of them. Their friend had been taken and they were all uncertain of his fate. That uncertainty only made it worse. They had no idea if he was still alive or not. They all wondered if they should have waited like they did but none of them said it aloud. 

Instead they moved around while hardly saying a word to one another. They all looked miserable too. It was plain to see from the morose looks on their faces that they were all upset. The loss of Kaneki outweighed the fear of the Public Safety Committee. It was like a ball and chain around their ankle that kept them prisoner. They had to carry the weight of that everywhere and it never went away. 

"It's been two weeks now." Kurumu suddenly spoke up. 

"I hope he's ok." Moka knew exactly what she meant. They all did. 

"I shouldn't have waited." Gin repented his decision. 

"You couldn't have known it would be like this, desu." Yukari tried to cheer him up. "You were just being cautious."

"Look." Mizore suddenly popped up from behind a bush near their table. "Over there." She pointed towards Kuyou, who was casually patrolling the school grounds. He was alone too. Gin stood up and went right for him. 

"Gin-senpai, wait!" Moka tried to stop him to no avail. Kuyou took notice of a rather angry looking Gin approaching. 

"What do you want Ginei?" Kuyou asked in annoyance. 

"What the hell did you do with Kaneki?" Gin asked.

"I took him prisoner, you saw it." Kuyou remarked.

"That's not what I meant. I want to know if he's still alive." 

Kuyou smiled wickedly. "Let's just put it this way. I left him in Yamori's care." Gin's anger faded and his expression now looked horrified and defeated. "Now get out of my way, or else you'll join him." Kuyou continued on and left Gin standing there. Once he was gone the rest of the club all ran up to Gin. 

"Gin-senpai, what happened? What did he mean by that?" Moka asked. 

"It's too late it must be." Gin told her. "Of all the people there Yamori is the only one more sick and twisted than Kuyou. To make matters worse he's a ghoul like Kaneki."

"How does that make it worse?" Mizore asked.

"I didn't finish. He's also a kakuja." 

"Oh no!" Yukari shouted. 

"What? What's a kakuja?" Kurumu asked. 

"A kakuja is a ghoul with a greater Rc factor than normal ghouls. This also gives them armor. But in order to become a kakuja... a ghoul must participate in cannibalism." Yukari informed them. 

"Yukari-chan, what are you saying?" Moka asked. 

"It means that he eats his own kind." Yukari clarified. There was a brief moment of silence as they all let that horrifying piece of news sink in. 

"NO!" Kurumu shouted. "That's it, i'm not letting this go on any longer!" She began to storm off. 

"Kurumu-chan, wait!" Moka tried to get her to stop as the rest of the club ran after her. 

"Just wait for me Kaneki-kun, i'm coming." She muttered quietly. 

* * *

Kaneki was alone in the quiet darkness of his room. The blindfold around him kept him in the dark as he sat there motionlessly. By now the centipede in his ear had given up its attempts at escape and was still. The room was quiet now as he sat there alone with only his thoughts. Was he going mad? After a short while he had begun laughing instead of screaming from the pain. It had brought his own sanity into question. He wondered if this was his fate, to go insane in this room alone. He'd rather die, and he had a feeling that wish would soon come true. 

He suddenly felt the blindfold being lifted off him and found himself sitting in the middle of a white emptiness. He looked around to see two Moka's with him. The Inner and the Outer. 

"M-Moka?" He asked.

"That's right Kaneki Kun." The Inner answered. "It's us."

"Though we are not the real Moka. We only exist within your mind." The Inner added. 

"Great, so I really am going insane." He commented. 

"You've been thought a lot haven't you Kaneki-kun?" The Outer asked as she reached down and gently put her hands on his cheeks. Though she was no real her touch felt very real to him. It was a gentle warmth that suddenly started to fill you. "You look awful." 

"Yeah, I can only guess." He remarked. 

"You've changed a lot haven't you Kaneki-kun?" Moka asked. "Ever since that accident, and ever since you came to Youkai Academy too." 

Kaneki thought about what she had said. It was true, he had changed. After the surgery he was scared and felt alone. When he came to academy he felt the same way. He was alone and unsure of his new environment. But both time he had founds friends who had been there for him. Anteiku took him in once he became a ghoul and taught him how to live the life of one. He met Moka on his first day at Youkai and gained more friends after that. Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, and even Gin. All of them were his friends and were there for him. He'd grown up a lot in that time. In fact he changed even before that. 

He looked up once more and found himself in the audience of the play he starred in during 5th grade. Both Moka's were on either side of him. He was the lead role and was doing an outstanding job. The audience clapped at his performance. 

"I never knew you stared in a play Kaneki-kun." Outer Moka commented. 

"Yeah, I was the lead role." He reminisced. 

"I must say, it is certainly not something I would imagine you doing." Inner remarked. "I suppose that changed when you lost your parents?" 

"Yeah." Kaneki looked down and blinked. He was now in the white void once more, with his parents graves in front of him. "After they died I just felt alone. I was sent to live with my aunt who never really cared for me. That only made things worse." 

"I'm sorry, that must have been hard." Outer sympathized with him. 

"I still remember the last thing my mother said to me. 'Instead of being the person who hurts others, become the person who gets hurt.'" 

"That sounds like the mentality of the weak." Inner Moka criticized. "The weak believe that being hurt is noble when this is not the case. It is the strong who have power in this world and take what they want. The strong will always crush the weak, that's just the way it is." 

"That's not always true." Outer disagreed. 

"Isn't it? Weren't you bullied and tormented by the humans?" Inner reminded her.

"Yeah, but..."

"No, the other you is right." Kaneki agreed. "A weak person can't protect anything. If my mother wasn't so weak maybe should still be alive." 

"But..." Moka tried to argue. She began to fade. 

"You wanted your mother to stop being so weak and submissive, right?" Inner asked. 

"That's right." Kaneki answered. "I was her son, how could she do that to me?" 

"You wanted her to be there for you." Inner stated. The Outer Moka now became transparent. 

"Yes." Kaneki answered. 

"Even if it meant breaking her own rule?"

"Even if it meant that!" Kaneki now shouted. Outer Moka could hardly be seen now. 

"Now let me ask you again Kaneki. Are you a human or a ghoul?" Kaneki looked up with a blank expression that was nothing like how he appeared before. 

"I am a ghoul." He decided, finally casting out his humanity. With that he Outer Moka now disappeared, leaving the white haired Kaneki with Inner Moka. 

"That's right Kaneki, you are a ghoul, embrace it. Become strong." Inner told him. 

"I will. I won't be weak anymore." 


	9. Came back strong, came back wrong

"Hold on a second!" Gin shouted as he caught up to a furious Kurumu. She was making her way right for the safety committee's headquarters. She was determined to rescue her Kaneki no matter the cost. She knew it would be dangerous, she knew what lay ahead. It didn't matter to her though. All that mattered was getting back her destined one. Gin finally got in front of her and blocked the way. "Where do you think you're going?" He demanded. 

"I'm going to rescue Kaneki-kun." She answered with determination. 

"No, if you go there you're going to die." Gin told her.

"I don't care! I have to know, I have to know if he's alive or not." 

"Chances are he's not so let's just go back already." Gin retorted. 

"No! I'm not just going to give up on him!" Kurumu wailed. 

"Me neither, desu!" Yukari agreed. "I'm going to help get Kaneki-kun back!"

"If you guys are going then I am too." Mizore added. 

"You guys are insane!" Gin shouted in disbelief. "Do yo have any idea of who you're going up against?" 

"We know Gin, you've made it plenty clear that you're afraid of them." Kurumu shot back. "Well we're not. Even if they are stronger than all of us we'll still risk it. Because Kaneki-kun is important to all of us. So we'll gladly risk our lives for him." 

Gin was at a loss of words. Their dedication truly surprised him. "You all agree with this?" He asked. The other girls all nodded without a second thought. They were all ready to risk their lives for him. Gin let out a sigh and grinned. "Fine then. If you ask me you're a bunch of idiots, but then I guess i'm going to be an idiot too." 

"You're coming with us Gin-senapi?" Moka asked. 

"Of course. I may be afraid, but there's no way i'm going to let anyone get away with hurting my club." He responded. "Mizore-chan, you had better stay back during this fight."

"Why's that?" Mizore asked. 

"I know you're a Yuki-Onna, a Snow Woman. Kuyou is a Kitsune, a fox youkai who controls fire. He's going to have the advantage over you so be careful." 

"Alright." Mizore nodded.

* * *

Once they got to the Public Safety Committee's headquarters they found it was rather dark. There were no light on inside and it was rather dark. Gin led the group of them and looked around. Their heads all moves about different directions to see if anyone was around. They didn't see any sign of the committee members, and if they were there it was too dark to see. Gin's nose twitched as the checked the air for scent. "We're not alone." He told them in a grim tone. "Watch your back." He slowly made his way farther inside as quietly as he could. The rest of his club followed in the same manner, moving as one group behind him. 

"I wonder where do we go?" Moka quietly asked. 

"You can go right to your graves." They suddenly heard Kuyou's voice. He stepped out of the shadows of the foyer and approached them. "Trespassing here is against the rules. I don't think you'll get off of this one." Gin jumped in his way in order to protect his club. "Do you intend to fight me Ginei?" Kuyou asked in a mocking laugh.

"That's right. No one lays a hand on my club members. Now give us Kaneki back!" Gin demanded. 

"Hmph, how foolhardy." Kuyou remarked. He held out his hands with his palms up and fire formed in his hands. Gin's body began to transform as he changed into a werewolf. Once he had transformed he let out a howl. 

* * *

Kaneki heard a howl from his room but did not move. He had no clue what it was or why it happened. The next thing he heard was the heavy metal door open as Yamori entered. He was dressed in his black uniform as always and approached Kaneki with a shit eating grin. "It seems your friends have come here in hopes to save you." Yamori told Kaneki as he made his way towards the boy. Kaneki did not move an inch nor say anything. "Kuyou's ordered me to finish you off while he takes care of your friends." Again, no response. "Hm, finally broken I see. Good." Yamori bent over towards Kaneki and gave him a mad man's smile. "Then you won't care too much if I devour you." 

_Clank_

Kaneki's ankle cuffs broke and in a flash he was on Yamori's back with his handcuffs around Yamori's neck. Yamori stood upright as he felt his airway being constricted. "Devour this." Kaneki told him. Yamori tried to reach Kaneki to pull him off but it was useless. He couldn't manage to reach the boy. He then quickly bent over and tired to throw Kaneki off him. Kaneki ended up flipping off him and landing on his feet unharmed. He wiped something from his mouth. "Oh that's foul. Like the rotting intestines of a pig." He commented casually. Yamori didn't know what he was talking about, but the next instant he felt it. He felt blood on the left side of his head and reached to touch it.

"You... you bit me." He realized. "How dare you!" He made a pass at Kaneki. Kaneki jumped into the air and tried to kick Yamori. Yamori managed to grab him by the ankle and held on tight. "Ha, got you! I'll never let go now!" Kaneki contorted far beyond his body's limit. In one motion he kicked Yamori in the head and badly twisted his left ankle in Yamori's grasp. Yamori flew off the side a short distance and Kaneki landed on his feet. His twisted ankle then straightened itself back out easily. 

"After everything do you really think that hurts?" Kaneki asked neutrally. Yamori turned to him and glared. 

"I'll kill you!" He yelled in rage. Kaneki watched as Yamori's kagune came out. He then noticed it began to change unlike anything he had seen before. He watched as Yamori's kagune engulfed his right arm and the upper half of his head. It also changed from cyan into a dark red color. Kaneki recognized that this must be the form of a kakuja. He was aware of what they were but had never seen one until now. He began working out a strategy in order to beat Yamori. 

Yamori charged at him with his rinkaku arm. Kaneki dodged the attack easily and got behind Yamori. Yamori swung blindly towards his back. Kaneki back flipped a distance away from him and gained some ground. Yamori charged him and bought his arm straight down towards him. Kaneki dodged to the side and Yamori swung at him with his normal arm. He then began to swing wildly at Kaneki who managed to back away from every attack. Yamori then lifted both hands above his head and brought them downwards towards Kaneki. Kaneki backed up quickly and gained some distance. Yamori gritted his teeth ans seethed with rage. 

Kaneki took notice that Yamori was attacking blindly. He was more like a wild animal than a fighter right now. Yamori was not reacting sensibly or planning his attacks. He was simply swinging wildly wherever Kaneki moved to. There was no rhythm or logic to his attacks. He was simply a wild animal, one that Kaneki intended to put down. Yamori finally managed to hit Kaneki and sent him flying into a wall. There was a cloud of dust that erupted from the force of impact. Yamori grinned with satisfaction. Kaneki stepped out of the dust practically unscathed. Yamori's smile faded. Kaneki cracked his the knuckles in his index finger on his right hand with his thumb. "My turn." He announced. Kaneki let out his own kagune. 

Kaneki charged at Yamori with his own kagune. Yamori blocked his strike as Kaneki slid to his other side. Kaneki then sent all four of his rinkaku to jab Yamori. Yamori blocked them once more. Yamori then swung at Kaneki with his kakuja arm. Kaneki ducked under his attack and struck up through his arm. Kaneki's kagune cut straight through Yamori's arm, severing it in two. Yamorio let out a pain grunt as Kaneki launched himself into the air above Yamori. Kaneki then brought all of his tentacle like appendages together and slammed them down onto Yamori. There was an even larger cloud of dust from Kaneki's strike. Yamori was left bloodied and beaten in a small carter in the floor. Kaneki walked over next to the incapacitated Yamori. Yamori was helpless and unable to move, he was not at Kaneki's mercy. 

"What's a thousand minus seven?" Kaneki asked coldly. Before Yamori could even respond Kaneki's kagune pierced the back of his thigh. Yamori let out an anguished cry of pain. "I'll ask again, what's a thousand minus seven?" Kaneki asked once more before he stabbed Yamori in the other leg. Yamori let out another shout of pain, then another as Kaneki once more stabbed into him. 

"9... 997..." Yamori managed to say while repeatedly getting cut into. "992... nine hundred eighty.... seven." By now Kaneki had torn up both of his legs and left him immobile. There was no way he was going anywhere. He wouldn't stay like that however. Before long he would begin to heal and get back up again. Kaneki wasn't going to allow that to happen. He decided it was time to finish it. 

"Cannibalizing a ghoul will make you stronger right?" Kaneki asked without any emotion. "Then I guess since you tried to eat me, you won't mind if I eat you." Kaneki plunged his hand into Yamori's back and grabbed hold of his kakuhou sack. "The strong have the right to devour the weak, right?" Kaneki ripped out his kakuhou. Yamori made a pained noise that hardly even sounded human. He began to shake from the pain as Kaneki sat on top of him and devoured his kakuhou before finishing the job. 

* * *

Up above, Gin was just barely managing to hold off Kuyou. Kuyou was an experienced fighter and was skilled with his fire powers. Gin was skillfully dodging them with his speed as a werewolf. The other girls were able to do little more than stay back and watch. Kuyou was far stronger than most of them, and without Kaneki Moka could not remove her rosary and unleash her power. Gin was the only one that could fight back properly and they were forced to rely on him. Kuyou let out two beams of fire that shot from each palm. Gin back flipped away from it with ease.

"I must admit, I didn't think you'd be this skilled." Kuyou commented at Gin's abilities. "But you're still no match for me mutt." 

"We'll see about that!" Gin snapped back as he rushed towards Kuyou. Kuyou jumped backwards and balled fire in his palm to toss at Gin who was now wide open. Before he could that he ended up slipping and fell to the ground. He picked himself up and found there was a small patch of ice on the ground. He glared over towards the others to see Mizore holding her hand out towards that spot. Kuyou seethed with rage.

"You insubordinate little brat!" He shouted. He created a massive ball of fire in his hand that spanned about 3 feet in diameter. He tossed it towards Mizore like a ball and it flew straight for her. She froze in fear with the others all within the blast radius. Gin knew he had to act fast. He quickly jumped in the way and held his arms out defensively. He caught the blast head on and it exploded with great force. There was a cloud of smoke that rose from the area as Gin was standing there severely burnt in his werewolf form. He looked pained and his fer was blackened and burned off around his chest. He reverted back to his human form before falling backwards to the ground. 

"Gin-senpai!" Kurumu shouted as they all came over to his aide. Gin coughed up a small amount of smoke. 

"You... you idiots." He muttered weakly. "You should have just stayed out of it." 

"But why, why did you jump in the way?" Kurumu asked.

"Because I didn't want to see my club members get hurt." He managed to explain. The girls all began to tear up. They had all thought of Gin as a selfish pervert. They never thought he would throw himself into danger for them. Yet here he had saved not only Mizore but the whole group of the others as well. He was badly injured and no longer able to fight. His burns were too bad. 

"Don't worry about him, he's not going to die... yet." Kuyou told them as he stood by with a condescending look. Moka gave him an angered look through the tears in her eyes. He had taken away Kaneki, now he had severly injured Gin. Kuyou was out to hurt them and he didn't have a care in the world about it. Moka was sick of it, she wasn't going to take anymore. She stood up and charged him with her arm winded back to punch. Kuyou smirked at her attempt to attack him and raised his own fist with his arm across his chest. Once she was close enough he slammed the back of his fist into the side of her head. Moka fell over sideways and rolled a few times. Her ear was ringing on the side she was hit on and she felt disoriented. She got to her knees as Kuyou approached her. 

"I have to admit I am curious. Why wold you risk your lives to save a piece of trash human?" Kuyou asked. 

"Because he's not a human! He may have been once but he's changed." Moka shot back. "Besides, he was the first friend i've ever made. He's very special to me and I don't want to lose him..." She began to tear up a bit again. "I don't want to be alone again." Kuyou stared at her in disbelief for a brief moment. He then smiled as if what she just said was funny. 

"Fufufufu." He laughed as he raised his palm towards her. Fire began to spiral into a small cone shape as it charged in his hands. 

"No, Moka-chan!" Kurumu shouted. Moka sat there on her knees with tears in her eyes as she faced her end. 

"Kaneki-kun, please don't leave me alone." She muttered softly. 

Kuyou launched his attack. A bright burst of fire shot out and incinerated everything in its path. The others watched in horror as bright how fire shot out from Kuyou's hand and covered the area where Moka was kneeling. After a brief moment that felt like an eternity the fire subsided and Kuyou smiled down at the spot where the vampire was. His smiled faded when he didn't see a body. He turned around to see a white haired boy standing a short distance behind him. He was holding Moka bridal style and she looked up into her savior's face, recognizing him immediately. 

"I won't." Kaneki told her. Moka looked at him in shock. The others reactions were all the same. Shock at seeing Kaneki alive and his change in appearance. 

"Kaneki-kun." Moka murmured in quiet shock. Kaneki walked over to the rest of his friends and set her on her feet. He looked down at the charred and incapacitated Gin. 

"Hey Kaneki-kun, glad to see you're alright." Gin greeted him weakly. 

"Gin-senpai. Did you get hurt?" Kaneki asked. There was a noticeable change in his tone. He wasn't concerned or happy, he simply asked a question. He had a monotone that was unlike how he was before he was taken. His friends all noticed it but were too caught up with the fight to think about it. 

"He jumped in the way to save Mizore-chan." Yukari answered. Gin laughed weakly, clearly in pain as he did so. 

"Don't mention it." He remarked. Kaneki stared down at him a bit sadly. Even he was surprised to see Gin's selflessness. He was saddened to see him in such a state because of it. Kaneki wished he had gotten there sooner to stop it. He was going to make sure to pay Kuyou back for it in full. Kaneki suddenly felt Moka grab his arm and his focus shifted to her. 

"Thank goodness you're here Kaneki-kun. Quick, pull off my rosary so we can end this." She told him. Kaneki smiled at her warmly. He pulled his arm away from her and walked towards Kuyou, turning his back on them. Moka stared at him in concern and fear. 

"I'll take care of this. You guys just stay back." He told them as he faced Kuyou. Kuyou grinned, amused by Kaneki's bravery. Or as Kuyou saw it, foolishness. 

"You? You are going to take me all by yourself? How did you even escape from Yamori anyway?" Kuyou asked. 

"I killed him." Kaneki stated blankly. 

"You what?" Kuyou now sounded enraged. The rest of the Newspaper Club all stared in shock. Kaneki was normally kind and gentle. Murder was not something that he did. He had near killed one of the boys attacking Yukari and felt awful about it. But this Kaneki was different. He admitted to murder as if it were something he did every day like getting the paper. The fact that he killed some didn't phase him at all. To Kaneki it was because Yamori deserved it. He was a wild animal that needed to be put down for the greater good. to Kankei, killing Yamori was for the best. 

"You brat, he was one of my men! How dare you!" Kuyou shot a fire bullet from his palm. Kaneki ducked under it and rushed towards Kuyou with speeds equal to that of Gin's. Kuyou didn't have time to charge up another fire attack and swung at Kaneki instead. Kaneki's left eye turned into a kakugan as he ducked under Kuyou's first punch. Kaneki struck back at the same time as Kuyou and their attacks collided, creating a small shock wave from the impact. They both retracted their fists and Kaneki swung back quicker. Kuyou blocked his attack by redirecting it downwards. He then kicked at Kaneki's legs to knock him off balance. Kaneki flipped forward, landing on one hand before flipping himself up right back to back with Kuyou. Kuyou spun his right elbow back to try and strike Kaneki, but Kaneki raised his own arm and blocked it. 

"What is this? You weren't this strong before." Kuyou commented at Kaneki's new found strength.

"Hey, do you want to know something?" Kaneki asked casually. "I realized the reason why you're a part of the Public Safety Committee." 

"What are you talking about?" Kuyou quickly spun and faced Kaneki. "You insubordinate little-" He was cut off when Kaneki delivered a hard and swift punch to his gut. Kuyou bent over in pain and gasped for breath. 

"Be quiet, just like that. I'm talking." Kaneki ordered icily. "You see I did some thinking during my time down in that room. At first I thought some somewhere deep down you truly believed you were during the right thing. But I know that's not true. You just have to feel superior to others and aren't happy unless you're in a position you can exploit. You don't care who you hurt in the process so long as you can feel powerful. You're a savage animal that needs to be put down." 

"Ghh, why you..." Kuyou's rage was overflowing. "HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" He threw a punch cloaked in fire. "DIE WORM!" Kaneki moved his head to the side to doge the punch and kicked Kuyou in the ribs. Kuyou hunched over once more and caught a second kick from Kaneki that snapped straight up into his jaw. Kuyou was sent flying backwards and slammed against a wall. A cloud of dust and debris shot forth from the impact. Kaneki waited for a moment to see if Kuyou would come out. He saw no motion and he turned back to his friends. His left eye reverted to normal and he smiled at them. They all were unsure of what to say to him. He had clearly changed 

"It was dangerous coming here you know." Kaneki was the one who spoke up. With tears in her eyes Kurumu ran at him and pulled him into a tight embrace. She smothered him harder than she ever had before. 

"Kaneki-kun! I was so worried about you!I thought you were dead." Kurumu wailed with relief. 

"Keep smothering him like that and you will you milk cow!" Yukari reprimanded her. 

"What did you call me?" Kurumu shouted back, getting go of Kaneki so that he took a large breath of air. 

"You heard me milk cow!" Yukari shot back.

"You guys, I don't think this is the time!" Moka interjected. 

"Moka-chan is right, we need to get Gin-senpai to the infirmary." Kaneki sided with her. 

"Hey Kaneki-kun, what happened to your hair?" Moka asked. She had noticed when he saved her earlier but was unable to ask him at the time. It was definitely his biggest change in appearance. It wasn't his only big change however. Everyone also noticed his brutality and ruthlessness when he was fighting Kuyou. Kaneki was ready to kill him without a second thought. That was something they were not used to. AS far as physical changes though the hair was the biggest. His nails were also black now, but his white hair stood out more. 

"Ah... it's a long story." Kaneki tried to change the subject. 

"I like it." Mizore told him. "It reminds me of snow." 

There was suddenly a bright flash of light and heat from the area where Kuyou impacted the wall. They all turned to see Kuyou now shrouded in fire and appearing a bit more fox-like. Most of the Newspaper Club looked terrified. Kaneki stood there unfazed as he glared at Kuyou. Kuyou walked closer to them with a confident grin on his face. 

"I truly never thought i'd have to use my battle form." Kuyou admitted as he closed in on his prey. "But you are dangerous Kaneki Ken. Now this is the end of the line for you." Kaneki's facial expression never changed. He cracked his index knuckle with his thumb. His left eye changed once more and he let out his kagune. Four bright red tentacle like appendages all pointed towards the kitsune. Kuyou smiled as he waved his hand in their direction. A large wave of fire sailed towards Kaneki. He jumped at flipped over it, landing a few feet in front of Kuyou and bringing his kagune down on top of his. Kuyou jumped back and dodged in between two rinkaku. Kaneki rushed at him with his kagune trailing behind him.

Kuyou shot a beam of fire out of his hand and Kaneki side-stepped it. He quick rush to Kuyou's side. Kuyou fired another beam with his another hand and Kaneki evaded it again, running around to the other side of Kuyou. Kuyou quick spun around and brought his fist down towards Kaneki. Kaneki blocked it with all of his rinkaku before pushing Kuyou's attack backup and causing him to stumble back a bit. Kuyou held his hands out to his sides and charged up an attack. Before he could fire it, Kaneki sent two rinkaku out that stabbed into his hands. Kuyou shouted in pain and didn't notice the other two coming for him. Kaneki's other two kagune appendages stabbed into Kuyou's gut. He coughed up blood and Kaneki lifted him into the air. Kaneki looked up at him with a hateful look as Kuyou was held there helplessly. 

"Please, let me go." Kuyou tried to plead. "I'm sure there's something I can do for you." 

"Yes, you can die." Kaneki told him without any feeling. He then retracted the kagune limbs in Kuyou's hands and stabbed them into his torso as well. Kuyou coughed up more blood. Kaneki then slammed him into the ceiling then down onto the ground and off his kagune. Kuyou lay there face down and bleeding profusely. Kaneki retracted his kagune and reverted back to his human form. He kept the scowl on his face as he stared down at Kuyou's body. The fires dimmed before fading and leaving Kuyou in his normal form as well. The other Newspaper Club members all stared in shock as they just witnessed Kaneki murder someone. He then turend back to them and smiled once more. "It's over now." He announced. He walked over and helped pick Gin up, placing Gin's arm over his shoulder. 

"Thanks Kaneki-kun." Gin thanked him weakly. "You did good." 

"Don't talk Gin-senpai, conserve your strength." Kaneki told him. "Let's just go back already." He then took Gin to the infirmary with the rest of the club, leaving the Public Safety Committee's headquarters behind along with the bodies of Yamori and Kuyou.


	10. Summer break

"Uwaaa! It's so nice out!" Kurumu cried out with joy. It been a few months since the incident involving the Public Safety Committee. The semester was coming to an end and the summer months had rolled around. Soon it would be summer break and the students would have a few months off before school started up again. Most of them would leave during this time, returning to their various homeworlds. That was impossible for Kaneki. He had no secret homeworld or realm he could return to. Instead his friends and home were back in Tokyo, where he was prohibited from going. The good news was that he wasn't going to be alone at least. Moka and Mizore were both staying at the academy as well. Neither one of them wished to return home until they had to. Mizore had said it was because she feared she might not come back. Moka said nothing about her reason and no one pushed the subject.

Yukari and Kurumu both planned to return to their families during break. They were both upset that they would not be able to see Kaneki for awhile. Both also offered for him to come with them but he declined. He wanted to spend some  time with Moka anyway. For now they had finals to finish and enjoyed the weather in the meantime. Thought not all of them found it as nice. 

"It's too hot out." Mizore complained as she suddenly stepped out in from a tree in front of them, startling all but Kaneki. 

"Oh yeah, Mizore-chan is a snow girl so I guess that means you don't like the summer do you?" Kaneki asked.

"I don't mind it at home. It's always winter over there." Mizore explained. She was staying under the shade of the tree, avoiding the heat from the sun. Kaneki currently had his uniform jacket over his shoulder and his white shirt sleeves rolled up as they walked around outside. Despite embracing his ghoul nature now, he still wore the eyepatch over his left eye. It was mostly just in case he needed it however. Rules were still rules. They were still enforced even after the fall of the Public Safety Committee. Word of their downfall traveled quickly around the school. There were rumors going around about how the whole Newspaper Club defeated the Public Safety Committee. There were also rumors about Kaneki taking them all on himself as his change in appearance and demeanor was noticeable. Not only was his hair white now and his nails black but his personality had changed too. 

He hardly smiled anymore. He mostly just kept a brooding look on his face wherever he went. Though he still acted like himself around his friends they knew he changed since his two weeks at the safety committee's headquarters. None of them spoke about it. They were all still happy to have Kaneki around, even if he had changed. The rest of the semester after the incident had become pretty routine. Classes continued uneventfully, with the exception of the few disappearances that were payed no attention. They meet for club every Thursday after classes ended. All of the issues they released after the incident went along swimmingly. It was a hit with students, and no one interefered. The rumors about the Newspaper Club storming the Public Safety Committee's headquarters boosted their reputation as well. They were seen as either heroes or people that were not to be trifled with. 

Now it was all coming to a nice little close. Schoolwork was starting to pick up as they prepared for finals but they would have a much needed break after that. They were all looking forward to it. Even Kurumu and Yukari, knowing they would not see Kaneki or their friends for some time still looked forward to summer break. They would all meet up next semester and hopefully they wouldn't have any more misadventures. Though they all knew in the back of their minds this wasn't always true. For now they all walked together, with Mizore staying in as much shade as possible. 

"I really can't stand this heat." Mizore again griped as she removed her large white sweater. She was wearing a plain black tank top underneath and she wrapped the sleeves of her sweater around her waist. 

"Hey, quit stripping in front of Kaneki-kun." Kurumu snapped. She did not even notice that Kaneki's expression did not change one bit.

"Like you're one to talk. You smother him every day." Mizore retorted with a calm demeanor. 

"That's different, he likes it when I do that." 

"I doubt it." Mizore calmly remarked. 

"So anyway..." Moka quickly cut in to try and change the subject. "Are you looking forward to going back home Kurumu-chan?" 

"I suppose. It'll be nice to see my mom again." Kurumu replied. "But i'll certainly be missing my destined one." She winked at Kaneki who blushed feeling a bit abashed. 

"You mean my future husband." Mizore corrected her. 

"Over my dead body!" Kurumu shouted back.

"If that's what you want." Mizore cooly replied. The two of them exchanged hateful glares. Kaneki ended up stepping between then and separating them.

"That's enough you two." He told them, sounding a bit annoyed. 

"Yes Kaneki-kun." They both responded simultaneously. 

"Hey you guys!" The heard Gin shout. They all stopped and saw their senpai and club president approach. 

"Hello Gin-senpai." Kaneki waved and greeted him with a smile. 

"Hey, Nekonome-sensei wants to make sure you all attend our last meeting today." Gin informed them. "She has something important she wants to tell us."

"What is it?" Moka asked. 

"No clue, she just asked me to tell you all this." Gin replied. "Just be there today, i'm sure it's nothing bad." 

* * *

After classes and a few finals that day, the Youkai Academy Newspaper Club was gathered in the same room they always met. Gin was there on time for once, and all the students of their club were waiting for Nekonome. They were all sitting in a semi-circle shape at the various desks around the room. Gin was sitting on the desk with his feet on the chair at one end. Kaneki had a book in his hands and was reading _The Hanged Man's MacGuffin_ , the latest Takatsuki Sen work. The room was quiet as they waited for their mentor to arrive. Eventually Nekonome strolled into the room with her usual bright smile on her face.

"Good afternoon everyone!" She greeted them cheerfully. "I'm glad to see you all made it. I have an important announcement for all of you." 

"What is it Nekonome-sensei?" Moka asked. 

"I hope none of you made any plans for summer break, because we're going on a club field trip!" She announced. 

"A club trip? To where?" Kurumu asked. 

"To the human world!" She told them.

After that they all stared at her in silent shock. Going to the human world while attending Youkai Academy was strictly forbidden. Students were allowed to return to their home worlds during the breaks between semesters but going to the human world was not allowed. The point of the academy was to spend years teaching them how to blend into the human world before they were allowed out. Letting students out early was a risk of exposing youkai to the humans. That could not end well. So the fact that Nekonome was taking them to the human world raised a few red flags. 

"What? The human world?" Moka repeated. 

"That's right." Nekonome confirmed with a nod.

"But Nekonome-sensei, isn't that against the rules?" Kaneki asked.

"Under normal circumstances yes. But as i'm sure you've seen not all the rules are reinforced so much at this school. Plus me being a teacher gives me a little bit more leeway in that regard." Nekonome explained.

"So you have permission to do this?" Kaneki asked.

"Now I didn't say that." Again they all stared at her in silent disbelief.  "Besides, I figured it'd make a good story for next semester's first edition. Now tomorrow is your last day and I want you all to get your things and meet up at the bus stop after class. We'll be heading out tomorrow!" 

* * *

After classes the following day, the Newspaper Club was all gathered at the bus stop like Nekonome had told them. They all had their things with them packed and ready to go. Most of them had their things packed in travel suitcases with wheels. Gin had a simple backpack slung over one shoulder while Yukari didn't seem to have anything at all. That wasn't to say she wasn't packed however. 

"Yukari-chan, didn't you pack for this trip?" Moka asked her after noticing that she was traveling light. 

"Of course, watch this desu!" Yukari pulled off her hat. "Nothing up my sleeve." She said before she reached into her hat. Her arm went in deeper that it should have. She pulled out a shirt from within her hat. "Ta dah!"

"Oh wow, that's pretty neat Yukari-chan." Kaneki complimented her performance. Yukari smiled with self-satisfaction and packed her hat back up. A few short moments later the bus came down the road and stopped in front of them. The doors opened and Nekonome stepped out to greet them. She told them to come aboard before going to take her seat in the front. Kaneki recognized the bus driver as the same one that dropped him off on his first day. He had the same creepy grin and glowing eyes as back then too. Kaneki felt a bit uneasy again but passed by him and took a seat on the bus. Gin and Yukari sat in the back seats while Kurumu and Mizore sat on opposite sides in front of them. Moka sat in front of Mizore and Kaneki in front of Kurumu. The bus then departed and made its way for the human world. 

"I hope you're all excited!" Nekonoma announced as she turned back to her students. "We're headed for the capital city of Tokyo." 

"Really?! We're going to see Tokyo?" Kurumu asked with excitement. 

"That's right! We're going right to the hustling bustling city. Now the point of this trip is to write a report about your stay in the human world, but that doesn't mean you can't go sight seeing." Nekonome explained. 

"That means there's going to be so many people there." Yukari realized, sounding nervous and starting to shake a bit. "So many humans... everywhere..."

"Don't worry Yukari, Tokyo is my home. Just stay close and I won't let anything happen to you." Kaneki turned back to her and reassured her with a smile. 

"R-really?" She asked a bit nervous yet. Kaneki nodded. 

"That's right, you're from the human word Kaneki-kun." Gin remembered. "How does it feel to be going back home?" 

"Honestly i'm kind of surprised myself." Kaneki answered. "I thought I wouldn't be going back until I graduated. It's kind of nice. I can't wait to see my friends again." 

"It must be nice Kaneki-kun." Moka told him. 

"Yeah, but it'll be nice to spend the summer with you guys in my home city too." He replied. He did not actually tell them what was going through his head. This could be his only chance to be in Tokyo for awhile. He may go back to Anteiku, though if he didn't they'd have no way of knowing he was there. His main focus was on Kanou. If what Moka said was true, then Kaneki had been nothing more than a human lab rat for Kanou. He probably wasn't the only person that this mad scientist had tried his experiment on either. Though Kaneki did not know Kanou's reasoning, he did know one thing. Kanou had to be stopped. He was a mad man on the loose to do as he pleased. As far as Kaneki knew, he was the only person who knew about Kanou's experiments, meaning Kanou most likely was still at that hospital. He was Kankei's target during their stay. Kaneki was going to make sure he stopped Kanou.

Their bus entered a tunnel of white light for a brief moment before coming out to a totally different scene on the other side. They were suddenly surrounded by large buildings and many people. Kurumu, Mizore, and Moka all stared out it awe at the sights of the city. Yukari seemed to shrink back when she saw how many people were around. Kaneki smiled with a warm fondness. It was good to be home. He wasn't that sure where in the city he was currently in, but he could easily find his way about. The bus ended up coming to a stop at an empty bus stop. Nekonome stood up in the aisle. 

"Here we are, the lovely city of Tokyo!" She announced. "Everyone off the bus, enjoy your stay." The members of the Newspaper Club all grabbed their bags and departed from the bus. Nekonome moved out of the way at let them all off. Gin was the last one off the bus, and Nekonome stood in the doorway after they had all departed. "Gin, as class president i'm leaving you in charge of this." She handed him a green credit card. Gin took it but looked down at confusion. 

"What is this Nekonome-sensei?" He asked. 

"It's a debit card. There should be enough on there for all you to live off of. Use it to rent a hotel during your stay or something." She responded. 

"Aren't you coming with us?" Kaneki asked. 

"Goodness no Kaneki. This is a club field trip for you. Besides, us teachers do have work to do off season. Toodles!" She waved goodbye before the bus doors closed as the vehicle sped off. The Newspaper Club was left standing there confused.  

"Well I guess we're on our own then." Kurumu remarked. Yukari began to cower behind them as she looked around nervously. 

"There's... a lot of people around." She noticed. Kaneki turned back to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

"Don't worry Yukari-chan. I said I would keep you safe and I meant it." He words and smile were reassuring to her. She stood upright and nodded, though she still looked a bit fearful. 

"Well then, since you're the expert where do we go from here Kaneki-kun?" Gin asked. Kaneki looked around and tried to get some sense of bearing. He found a 'You are here' map nearby, put there for tourists. He walked over and examined it. He only glanced at it and already knew where he was. 

"Seems we're in the 14th ward. The 20th ward in right next to us and that's where i'm from. I think we should rent an apartment there or something." He suggested. 

"Sounds like a plan. Lead the way." Gin told him. The rest of the club followed behind him as Kaneki headed for the 20th ward. He was back home and it felt good. 

* * *

Kaneki ended up leading them to the 20th ward where he showed them around. Though they had the money for an apartment Kaneki suggested to see if he still had his old apartment. It was supposed to be paid for on a government aid for him being a student and an orphan. That way they wouldn't have to spend money on a place to live. The girls of the club were all excited to get to see where Kaneki lived. Gin agreed since they were so enthused and it would help save money. When they got there they found it was still in Kaneki's name and they could stay. He led them to his apartment and showed them around. He rolled out a few futons in the guest room for them to stay, and one in the living room for Gin. The girls refused to share a room with him. After that they changed out of their school uniforms and Kaneki showed the around. He showed them his old school, the park in the 20th ward, as well as a few other sights in the surrounding wards of Tokyo.

He neglected to stop by Anteiku. He had plans for that. They spent the day seeing the city, with Yukari always an arms reach away. Moka was a bit nervous as well. She had her own bad experiences with humans in the past. Though she was comforted by the fact that she had her friends around her. Kaneki really helped in that regard. After spending hours out in the city they decided to head back. It was dark by the time they got back to their apartment. They were the only ones on the street in less crowded area of the 20th ward. 

"Man, that was really fun today." Kurumu commented. 

"I agree. Thank you for showing us around Kaneki-kun." Mizore thanked him. 

"Ah, don't mention it." He replied politely. He was now dressed in a black hoodie worn open with a plain black t-shirt along with black pants. Gin let out a yawn.

"Man am I beat." He remarked tiredly. "Can't wait to get in and lie down." 

"Yeah." Kaneki agreed as he pulled out the key to their apartment. "I have to say, it is good to be home." He reached for the door to their apartment before suddenly freezing. He stopped right where he was for a moment before retracting his reach. The others all looked confused. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Gin asked. Kaneki didn't reply. He turned to his right and looked up. The others all looked to see what he was staring at. There on top of a light post were two robed and masked figures. One in black with white stripes on her mask and the other in white with black stripes. The one in black had a single eye hole on the left side while the one in right. Gin's expression suddenly turned more serious. "Friends of yours?" He asked. He looked to see Kaneki pulling out a black leather mask of his own from his hoodie.

"No, not at all." Kaneki replied as he donned his mask. The two girls jumped down from their perch above and went for Kaneki. He jumped back out of the way as they landed in front of him. The others all stepped back, unwilling to use their true forms or powers in public. The two girls rushed Kaneki at once. He ended up blocking both their attacks and pushing them back a short distance. They both landed on their feet gracefully. 

"It's just like poppa said, he is strong." The one in white said to her partner with a stoic tone. Kaneki gave them a serious look with his visible eye as it changed into a kakugan. He let out his kagune, which now came out in thinner strands than normal. The two girls let out their own and shocked everyone. They kagune they had was the exact same as Kaneki. 

"No way." Moka responded. 

"But that's..." Yukari tried to say but couldn't finish before the two others rushed Kaneki again. He quickly blocked all of their kagune strikes with his own. He managed to counter attack and they both had to dodge to get out of the way. They jumped up to the light poles once more. 

"I think that's enough for now." The figure in black decided. Her tone was as dull and lifeless as the other's. They then jumped away and departed from the area quickly. Kaneki watched them go and decided not to give chase. He retracted his kagune back into his body and his eye changed back to normal. He looked around to make sure no one else was around before he removed his mask. As he did so his friends apporached him once more. 

"Kaneki-kun, what was that?" Moka asked with concern. He stared off in the direction they left. 

"I don't know. But I have the feeling that we're going to find out soon." 


	11. Coffee Shop Date

Kaneki was the first one up in the morning. He had always had a habit of being an early riser, even when he was up until the wee hours after his transformation. He could be up all night helping gather bodies or fighting and he'd still be up earlier than most others. It was just part of who he was. Everyone else was still fast asleep as the sun had risen barely over and hour ago. He tidy up the place a bit while everyone slept then sat down on the couch with a book in his hands. He caught up with reading his newest book by his favorite author.

Kurumu and Mizore were the first ones up that morning. The both entered the living room of Kaneki's apartment still dressed in their pajamas. Kurumu was in a white one piece with frilled edges around the shoulder straps and bottom. It reached about in inch above her knees and showed off quite a bit of cleavage. Mizore was in a matching set  of lavender pajamas with the top being button up. She was also currently lacking a lollipop from her mouth as she just woke up. Both girls had drowsy looks in their eyes as they entered the living room. "Good morning." Kaneki greeted them. 

"Morning Kaneki-kun." They both greeted him together. They were both clearly not fully awake yet. The expressions on their faces as well as the way they spoke gave it away. Kaneki closed his book and made sure to save his place. 

"I think I should make some coffee." He said with a grin. Neither one of them got his joke, it was mostly for himself. They both just wandered over to the small round table where Kaneki usually ate at. He moved into the kitchen and began to prepare some coffee. Before coming to Anteiku he had a simple coffee maker like most others had in their kitchen. After spending some time working he picked up on how to properly make a cup of coffee. He then got rid of his coffee maker and bought some of the equipment used at Anteiku. He could always make coffee better that way. Though he hadn't had company in years. His only family was his aunt and cousin who he used to live with. His relationship with them was... strained to say the least. He and Hide never went to each others apartments. It wasn't for any particular reason, they just always hung out together in public. None from Anteiku ever came over either. They all had their own business to attend to outside of work. Kaneki usually only saw them there. 

It actually felt nice to him to have people over for a change. It almost felt normal, having friends stay over at his house. Although that didn't change the fact that he was a creature than needed to consume human flesh to live. His company also consisted of a vampire, a werewolf, a witch, a succubus, and a snow girl. In reality he was still anything but normal. Though in his life anything that made him feel normal was amplified. Even if it was something small it meant a lot to him. He was glad to have his friend over at his place. 

After a short while the coffee was ready and Kaneki poured it into cups for them. He brought their two cups over to the table and set them in front of the two girls. They both thanked him together before picking up their cups and taking their first sips. They both let out a content sigh after their first taste. "Man, your coffee is amazing Kaneki-kun." Kurumu complimented him. 

"Ah, thanks. Mizore-chan, should I have made yours an ice coffee?" He asked as he poured himself a cup. He then went over to join them at the table.

"No, this is fine. Thank you." She replied softly. 

"Ah, I could get used to this. Waking up every morning to Kaneki-kun's coffee. Especially if I woke up with you beside me." She gave him a suggestive smile that caused him to smile nervously and turn slightly red. Kurumu went to take another sip of her coffee. She was rather surprised when her upper lip suddenly froze and stuck to her mug. Mizore had her hand raised with an aura of cold fog coming from her open palm. 

"Don't even think about it. He's going to be my future husband." Mizore cut in. 

The warmth of her coffee quickly unfroze Kurumu's lip. Her head snapped back and she covered her mouth with her hand. She shot Mizore and angry look. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" Kurumu shot back.

"No we won't. Because I already know i'm right." Mizore responded with a cool confidence. 

"Yeah right! I'd do anything for Kaneki-kun... _Anything._ " She sent him another suggestive smile. 

"As would I." Mizore added. 

"Actually..." Kaneki calmly cut in. Both girls turned their attention to him. "There is I something I would like you two to do for me." They both gave him confused looks as he accepted their offer. What he had in mind however was very different than what Mizore and Kurumu were thinking. 

Moka was the next to wake. She stepped out of the girl's room dressed in bright pink pajamas, rubbing her eyes to awake herself. She looked around with a drowsy expression to see Kaneki in the kitchen. He was dressed up in a white button down shirt and black dress pants with accompanying black dress shoes. He also had his eyepatch covering his left eye as usual. He stared at her with a neutral expression as she entered the living room. "Good morning Kaneki-kun." Moka greeted him with a lethargic tone. 

"Good morning Moka-chan." He responded. "I hope you don't mind but I would like to take you somewhere today. Would you mind getting ready?" 

"Of course not Kaneki-kun!" She replied cheerfully. "Just give me a moment and i'll be ready."

A short while later Moka came out of her room dressed in a pink dress with black laces around the bottom and shoulder straps. She also had on a pair of black shoes, and two bat shaped earrings on. To Kaneki she looked stunning. Moka was incredibly cute, beautiful even. She looked like an angel. He smiled kindly at her from the other end of the living room. He was glad to have some alone time with her. He cherished his friends, but they hardly ever gave anyone alone time with Kaneki. For a good reason too. He wouldn't get many moments like this so he wanted to make the most of it. 

"Alright Kaneki-kun. I'm all ready." Moka announced. 

"Let's go Moka-chan." He replied. He already knew where he was taking her. 

A short while later they were walking side by side through the streets of Tokyo. Though for Kaneki it was just another stroll through the city, it was much more stressful for Moka. For her being around humans reminded her of the torment she received during her years in middle school. She looked nervous among the crowd of people, sticking out to anyone glancing in her direction. She knew they were looking to, silently judging her. It was a look she had seen so many times. A casual glance with a quick aversion of the eyes. She knew all to well that people were thinking cruelly of her. Of all the youkai that existed on earth, none could be as cruel to their own kind as humans. Three years was supplementary time for Moka to learn this. 

Kaneki was her only solace during their walk. He was her first true friend. Through their fated meeting that day they had begun to grown ever closer. Moka had saved his life on more than one occasion, and he had at one point returned the favor. Though it was undeniable he had changed after his stay with the public safety committee. His stark white hair and now sullen demeanor were instantly noticeable. Beneath the surface there was more however. Around his friends Kaneki still acted like his old self. He was kind and polite, willing to throw himself into any danger for them. Once fighting however his deep rooted psychological problems began to show. He could turn cruel and merciless in the blink of an eye. He could shift from a kind boy into a Darwinist in blink of an eye. If someone threatened his friends he would use all of strength to make them pay. 

Even still Moka would not leave him. Though he had changed he was still Kaneki, her first true friend. He meant the world to her. Kaneki felt just and strongly about her. He was incredibly nervous when coming to Youkai Academy. The whole news of more creatures existing beyond humans and ghouls both amazed and stunned him.  Many creatures from legend such as vampires, werewolves, and the yuki-onna all turned out to be very real. Yet going to a school where everyone was a youkai was completely alien to him. He was after born a human, without any knowledge of any other creatures until he was one day old enough to know about ghouls. Then he became a ghoul and was forced to adapt to their way of life. It took him time, and he struggled with it the whole way. Then once he began to feel as if he was learning he was sent off to Youkai Academy and once more into an unfamiliar situation. 

He was scared when he began to walk alone on his first day. But then he met Moka who felt just as scared as he did. Together they would never let the other be alone ever again. They even made some great friends, even though Moka was competing with them for Kaneki's affection. Neither of them would trade their friends for anything. They both knew the other felt that way, even though it went unspoken. Though even with him by her Moka could not remain calm. Kaneki picked up on this after a while. He turned back and could see how out of place and nervous she looked. 

"Moka-chan, are you alright?" He asked calmly. 

"Ah... yes." She obviously lied in order for him to not have to worry about her. He could tell but decided to say nothing. 

"Don't worry, we're almost there." He reassured her. It didn't help. Moka still felt as out of place as ever.

"Kaneki-kun... would it be alright if I held your hand?" She asked. Kaneki stopped in his tracks with her doing the same right behind him. He was quiet for a moment. Moka began to panic internally. Had she said something wrong? Her fears were put to rest when he turned around and offered his hand to her with a warm smile. Moka smiled back in content and took hold of his hand. They walked together like that the rest of the way.

* * *

The employees of Anteiku were setting up the shop during the early hours. They would open soon and had to make the shop spiffy for the public. The jars and instruments used to make coffee behind the counter were cleaned and organized. All employees were on the floor helping set up. Nishiki swept the floor while Touka wiped down the tables. Enji and Kaya prepared the counter while Yoshimura oversaw the whole operation. Even Hinami was helping move boxes around and doing what she could. Though it was only little as she was not even allowed to be seen. The CCG knew her face and if she was seen at the shop it would bring trouble. 

Thus as expeditiously as the could they worked together to set up the small establishment. They finished only a few minutes before the shop would officially open. The broom and rage used to clean up were put away and hidden from public view. The coffee shop had to look proper and dignified to the paying public. The employees made sure they were presentable and that their uniforms were pristine. Touka began to steer Hinami upstairs where she would hide for the rest of the day. "Quickly now, hide before someone sees." Touka told her. 

"Ok onee-san." Hinami agreed with a cheerful smile. She began to run for the stairs and made it to the first step before the front door swung open and the little bell rang. Signalling that someone had entered Anteiku. Touka turned her attention to whoever entered while Hinami simply glanced quickly. It was in that short time that she noticed the a familiar face. Young Hinami stopped on the steps ans turned to the pair who had entered their shop. Standing there was her big brother Kaneki. Along with him was a noticeably cute girl with long pink hair and eyes green like an emerald. 

"Oh, it's you." Touka recognized him. Though his hair was now white his face was not one that they could forget so easily. Especially with his signature eyepatch that seemed to define him. The other employees all looked surprised to see him. There was no call before this or anything signaling he would be returning. They had all assumed he would be staying at his new school until he graduated. Him arriving at the shop was an unexpected surprise. It was a joyous one though, as they were all happy to see him again.

"Onii-san!" Hinami cheered. She jumped down the first step and ran over to him. As soon as she reached him she lunged forward and pulled him into an embracing hug. Kaneki looked down at her with a smile as she attached herself to him. 

"Hello Hinami-chan." Kaneki greeted her kindly. 

"So you're back already eh? I thought you weren't able to come here during summer break." Nishiki asked. 

"Well, we're not _supposed_ to." Kaneki replied a bit nervously. "But our club leader insisted on coming here." 

"Oh, is she allowed to do that?" 

"No, but when we brought that up she didn't seem to mind either." Kaneki laughed a bit nervously while the others all gave him dumbfounded looks. A teacher just disobeyed orders and seemed to be getting away with it. Kaneki's new school was certainly nothing like any school anywhere else in Japan. "You guys I would like you to meet someone." He stepped aside and gestured to Moka. "This is my friend Akashiya Moka. She's in my club and was my first friend at Youkai Academy. I decided to bring her here during our stay." 

"It's nice to met you all!" Moka greeted them with a warm, kind smile. They all assumed the same thing. This must have been the girl Kaneki spoke of on the phone before. She was clearly the girl he liked, why else would he bring just her? They had all come to the same conclusion and were all welcoming of her. 

"Nice to meet you to." Touka replied cordially. 

"Nice to meet you Moka-san!" Hinami agreed with just as much acceptance. 

"Hey Kaneki, what did you do to your hair?" Touka asked, staring up at his now pure white hair. 

"Ah... it's a long story." Kaneki responded while nervously rubbing the back of his head. Moka's expression turned a bit more serious at the change of topic. Though it went unnoticed, she became rather downtrodden at the mention of his change. She knew that his change was far deeper than it appeared on the surface, yet she remained reticent on the matter. "So how about two coffees for us?" Kaneki asked. 

"Certainly." Yoshimura agreed with a smile. "Then i'm sure we would all certainly like to hear about this school you've been attending." 

"Ah, sure." Kaneki replied with another nervous smile. There was plenty of things he wanted to share with them. Stories of all his new friends and the newspaper club. The adventures they shared during only the first semester. The major differences between the human and youkai worlds and their ways of life. Yet there were also matters of which he would not speak of. He wouldn't mention anything about the public safety committee or the time he spent in their custody. 

_Ring_

The small bell above the door once more, alerting all others inside that another person had entered the small coffee shop in Tokyo's 20th ward. "Welcome to Antek-" Was all Touka could manage to get out before a blue haired woman flung herself upon Kaneki and began to smother him between her breasts. 

"Oh my sweet Kaneki-kun!" Kurumu cried out as she embraced him. "Don't you ever leave like that again!" The rest of the crowd just stared with different expressions. Moka was surprised to see Kurumu appear there so abruptly. The workers along with Hinami were all shocked to see a girl so infatuated over Kaneki. 

"Oh my." Was Yoshimura's only response that came in a calm and collected tone. 

"O... onii-san?" A very shocked Hinami tried to ask. Before anyone could say anything else a kunai made out of ice zipped through the air and cut into Kurumu's forehead. With a miniature geyser of blood shooting from her forehead she collapsed to the floor. Everyone stared in shock while a stealthy Mizore popper hear head up from under a table.

"Don't even think about touching him." Mizore warned very calmly. Everyone in the shop save for an injured Kurumu turned to her, very surprised to see her appear in such a manner. 

"What? Mizore-chan, when did you get here?" Kaneki asked, rather bewildered with her sudden appearance on top of Kurumu's. 

"Not long after you did." Mizore replied with her composed tone. 

"OW! That hurt!" Kurumu wailed as she sat upright. 

"Well you should keep your hands off then. I intend to make him my future husband." 

"Not so fast, desu!" Yukari declared as she now too barged into the humble coffee shop. "I'm not going to let either of you get to him. Only Moka can be with him so they can share their bed with me!" The entire staff of Anteiku gave a horrified look at a young girl who appeared to be not much older than Hinami say such a thing. 

"Oh yeah, what makes you think they'll do that?" Kurumu confronted her. 

"Because i'm not a top heavy bimbo like you!" Yukari shouted back. 

"Yeah, you're a flat chested little squirt!" Kurumu retorted. 

"Hey!" Kaneki suddenly shouted, interrupting they quarrel. Both girls turned to see him now standing behind Hinami with his hands covering her ears in order to muffle out their foul talk. "Don't let me catch you saying things like that in front of Hinami-chan. I don't want to expose her to that kind of stuff and start talking like that." 

"Aww come one Kaneki-kun." Kurumu shrugged off his warning. "Are you really gonna-" She stopped when his expression shifted. Without even uttering a single word he became intimidating. His gaze changed into one they had seen before. It was the same look in his eyes he had when he fought Kuyou. They had all bared witness to his new found brutality on that day. They knew what this side of him was like. He also now smiled at them, though it was not out of kindness. It was an unsettling smile one would expect to see upon the face of a madman. Both Kurumu and Yukari instantly began to feel fear overcome them. 

"If I hear Hinami catching onto the way you talk i'm going to be very, _very_ unhappy. Is that clear?" Kaneki asked in a foreboding tone with a just an menacing glare. Both Yukari and Kurumu turned pale with fright as they felt their hair start to stand on edge. 

"Y-yes!" They both agree unanimously. 

"Good." Kaneki replied, now changing back to his normal self.

"No way..." Nishiki muttered. "No way Kaneki got this many girls to chase after him." 

"Oh, is that jealousy is detect?" Enji asked teasingly. Nishiki just grunted in angered and looked away from his coworker. There was suddenly a thump and Kaneki felt pain on the back of his head. He fell to his knees and put up a hand to where he felt he was struck. He turned back and looked up to see a furious Touka standing over him. She had a small round tray used to clear tables and serve coffee in her hands. The expression on her face made it clear her wrath was directed at Kaneki. 

"Touka-chan?" Kaneki asked, confused as to why she suddenly did that. 

"Kaneki, you damn pervert. I'm gonna beat you senseless!" Touka threatened him. It was now Kaneki's turn to look scared. Quickly as he could he picked himself up and began fleeing from Touka. She chased him around the floor of the coffee shop with that tray. 

"No, don't hurt him!" Hinami cried as she joined in on the chase. 

"You guys!" Moka tried to plead as she chased after the rest of them. The rest of Kaneki's harem all joined in, and that's how the next five minutes were spent in a wild goose chase in Anteiku, a small and humble coffee shop. 

* * *

After everything had settled down, Kaneki and the rest of the newspaper club were sitting at one of the round tables of Anteiku. Kaya had brought them all coffee in a dignified manner. Touka was now leaning against a wall in the back of the shop, a peeved look was still across her face. The members of the newspaper club all thanked their waitress for the coffee. The rest of the staff was gathered in a line near the table, save for Touka in the back. "Now, I believe that's enough excitement for one day." Yoshimura calmly proclaimed. "So tell us Kaneki, who are these women?" 

"These are my classmates and fellow club members." Kaneki informed them before introducing the girls one by one. "You've already met Moka-chan. She's a vampire." Moka waved to them with a slight smile. "This is Kurono Kurumu, a succubus." Kurumu winked at the staff. "Shirayuki Mizore, a yuki-onna." Mizore waved casually with an unmoving expression and lolipop in her mouth. "And Sendo Yukari, a witch." Yukari waved more enthusiastically. 

"Except for our pervy club leader, we're the Youkai Academy Newspaper Club." Kurumu announced. 

"The Newspaper Club eh? What made you join that club?" Yoshimura asked. 

"Well some of the others were kind of... weird. This one seemed normal and our homeroom teacher led it. It just seemed like a natural fit." Kaneki answered. 

"And like a pair of proper journalists we got the information you asked for Kaneki-kun." Kurumu informed him. 

"Really? Kaneki turned his head to them and asked with a bit of enthusiastic excitement. 

"Yup. I was able to find a young doctor and get him to tell me everything he knew." Kurumu gloated. 

"Then while she was causing a scene I snuck in the back and pulled up any record I could find." Mizore added. She then suddenly pulled out a couple of manila envelopes and threw them on the table. Kaneki took them and gave them a quick look through. 

"Thank you, both of you." He showed his gratitude. 

"Hey, just what exactly are you guys up to?" Nishiki asked with a bit of suspicion. 

"It involves the doctor that operated on me after the incident." Kaneki told him.

"Huh? Why are you paying attention to that guy now?" Nishiki asked. Kaneki set the folders down on the table calmly. He then turned his chair and shifted himself so that he was now facing the staff. He looked at them with a calm seriousness, an expression they were not used to and understood it was something important. They all listened very intently. 

"During my time at Youkai Academy I learned something. Something about our own biology that I was previously unaware of. It changed everything for me that day." Kaneki let them in on, though it only raised their heightened curiosity. "Even if it was possible for a ghoul's organ to transplanted into a human, it wouldn't change them into a ghoul like it did for me. In order for that to happen, a kakuhou would have to be implanted into the human subject. Something that no doctor could do by mistake and would take specialized tools to preform." The staff of Anteiku all looked shocked. Though ghouls themselves, they were not experts of their own biology. Having to hide themselves did not allow for them to fully study and research their own biology as humans could. Though it seems some knowledge had existed but been lost to them. 

"So what you're saying is that what happened to you is no mere accident?" Yoshimura asked to clarify the situation. Kaneki nodded to confirm this. 

"Even if what happened with Rize was an accident, the surgery was not." He remarked. The room was suddenly filled with a disquietude as Kaneki relayed this news to them. Kaneki, who had once been an innocent human boy had been forced into becoming a ghoul and adapting to their way of life. They had spent all this time thinking he was merely a victim of circumstance. But in lieu of that they now found he was a pawn in someone else's scheme. The doctor had intentionally turned him into a ghoul, though his reasons were unclear at the time. Even still, this news weighed heavily upon them as it changed everything. 

"Hold on a second, you said you were trying to find out about him right?" Touka asked. "Just what exactly are you planning?" Kaneki turned his attention to her. His calm unmoving seriousness did not change at all and he addressed her with the same tone. 

"I'm going to find him and make him tell me everything. If it comes to it, i'll kill him." Kaneki's tone became icy on the last part. It was not a threat, it was a statement. As clear as one would say the weather is sunny or cloudy, he declared his resolve to kill the old doctor if need be. The staff at Anteiku had not seen Kaneki's battle with Kuyou. They had not seen his new side like his classmates had. Kaneki deciding to kill somebody just like that was out of character for him. He was the one who let a dove live in order to try and show a willingness for peace. Now here he was ready to kill. That mere statement itself was almost as shocking as Kaneki's revelation. 

"What, are you serious?" Touka's shock made her quieter. Kaneki nodded to her. 

"Touka-chan, you know that sometimes it's inevitable for us as ghouls to kill. My time at Youkai Academy has taught me that as well. If i'm not the only one he plans on doing this to, if he's going to hurt other people then I will stop him. I'm strong enough now." 

"What the hell are you saying?!" Touka shouted. "Is this about strength, is this just to prove something to yourself? Have you even thought about what you might be getting yourself into?" 

"No. I know it might be dangerous." Kaneki admitted. "But I have to do it. It's my responsibility now." Touka stared at him silently for a moment. By her expression it was clear she found what he said rather preposterous and disagreed with it. Kaneki could tell it already. Yet she seemed to be in a stupor induced by the inability to process what Kaneki had just said. Her irate dumbfounded expression quickly changed into a scowl. She quickly spun away from him. 

"Fine. Do whatever you want Bakaneki." She muttered spitefully. Kaneki wondered where such a name came from. Touka then left without another word, leaving a the room with a bit of an awkward atmosphere. Kaneki promptly changed the subject with the others. He began to chat to them about his many adventures. He told of his meeting of all his friends and the times they shared. He told them about the club along with his friends and how hard they worked. They shared many stories together and had a good time doing so. Only Touka was absent from their party. Kaneki did not see her for during the remainder of his visit at Anteiku. A little over an hour later everyone was finished with their coffee and Kaneki paid for their drinks. He bid his ghoul friends farewell before leaving with his club. Meanwhile a peeved Touka worked in the back of the store away from everyone until Kaneki and his friends left. After that she returned to the front once more to continue her duties for the day. 

* * *

**Omake**

(A/N: So I decided to try and add one of these in every so often for a bit of comedic relief. Let me know what you think and if they should stay or never come back.)

"I'm getting in the bath now!" Moka cried throughout the house so that no one would intrude upon her, namely one overly horny werewolf. Said werewolf just so happened to hear this however and lewd thoughts were already running through his head. He knew that he could not barge in outright, and that was just not his style. He preferred to be either secretive or suave in front of the ladies.  He also knew none of the others in the house would be pleased with him if he did so or was caught. That was something he wanted to avoid, especially with his host. He closed the book he was reading as a wide Cheshire grin came across his face. 

A short while later Gin was in the alley behind the apartment. He was up on a high ladder that reached the floor which Kaneki's apartment was on. He began to hop the ladder over ever so slightly, slowly making his way towards the bathroom window. Once he was there, he stopped the ladder in the center of the open window and peeked in with a wide self-satisfied grin, mumbling Moka's name to himself. He did not see Moka however. Instead he had stopped outside of Kaneki's room and caught him changing and without a shirt on. The white haired Kaneki stared back at Gin for a brief moment of silence. Kaneki then cracked his index knuckle using his thumb, indicating he was preparing for a fight. The smile on Gin's face morphed into an expression of terror as he knew what would come next. 


	12. Hidden feelings

The following day started off much more quietly. The members of the newspaper club woke up one at a time, with only a few minutes spanning between each time another awoke. Kaneki had already made a pot of coffee in preparation for them. Though the quality was not quite that of the hand crafted coffee at Anteiku, it was still superb of its own merits. The guests all thanked him for the coffee before taking a seat around a small white table. Gin was the last to wake, which was not to anyone's surprise. He was notorious among his own club and a lazy do-nothing. It took him almost half an hour after Mizore who had woken prior to him. He took a cup of Kaneki's coffee and thanked him in the same groggy manner as the others. He sat down before taking first sip, after which he let out a content sigh. "Man, I can't believe Nekonome-sensei is going to make us work on such a great trip." Gin remarked with a dazed tone, as he was yet to fully wake. 

"Don't worry Gin-senpai, we're already working on something." Kaneki informed him. 

"Hm?" Gin's expression changed to that of someone who was fully aware. "What have you found?" 

"It's about that doctor, the one who turned me into a ghoul. We're trying to find him and find out why." Kaneki answered. Gin looked astonished by the revelation. Kaneki was chasing after something big, as if he was a major journalist looking for the scoop of a life time. Though this was a personal matter. Kaneki refused to let Kanou just get away with this. Whether or not what happened was a one time incident, Kaneki would make the doctor talk. His resolute on the matter was absolute. 

"Seriously? Don't you think it'll be dangerous? A guy like that must have taken some precautions to cover his tracks, and considering he was plays with gene splicing I don't want to know what those precautions might be." Gin remarked. 

"I know it might be, in fact it probably is. But I have to do this, I have to know why." Kaneki responded. It was true. He had to know the truth. Why did Kanou do this to him? What was his motive, his end goal? Kaneki had to find these answers. It was his mission while he was in Tokyo. He would not receive another chance like this, he had to pursue the truth. He had to know what would motivate Kanou to turn humans into ghouls. What made him want to play Dr. Frankenstein? These questions vexed Kaneki. 

"Man, you really got a knack for getting into trouble, you know that?" Gin remarked. "But since you guys are my club I guess I have to protect you guys. Count me in on whatever you've got planned." 

"Are you sure Gin-senpai?" Kaneki asked to reassure Gin's previous statement. 

"Of course, Without you guys I wouldn't have a club now would I?" Was Gin's response, and he meant it. The Newspaper Club meant too much to just forsake his club members in their time of need. He would help them on their quest in making the mad old scientist loquacious about his work. 

"Thank you Gin-senpai." Kaneki showed his gratitude. "From what we've gathered it seems that the doctor is on vacation, and currently isn't in town. However, he owns a secluded mansion not that far out from the city. I think if we do some digging there we might find something." 

"You think he left some important clue there?" Gin inquired. 

"Maybe, I can't say for certain. But it's worth a shot." Kaneki replied. "There's a few things I would like to do before we go and search his place though." One of the things of which Kaneki wanted to do was to scout out the mansion by himself first. He wanted to make sure it was actually abandoned and there Doctor Kanou had not left behind any defenses or booby traps. The other thing which Kaneki planed to do was the visit Uta and have him make masks for the rest of the club. Kaneki already had his own from his days working at Anteiku and living the life of a ghoul in the human world. He wished to get his friends their own in case things went south during their visit at the mansion. It would be best if they took a few extra steps to be cautious. 

"Anything we can do to help?" Kurumu asked, yearning to prove herself to him and to aid him. 

"No, it's fine." Kaneki told her. "I'm going to head out for a bit and prepare. I won't be long." 

"Kaneki-kun," Moka spoke up. "Are you going back to Anteiku?" Her question caught him off guard. Why would she ask such a thing? She had only just met the people there, and she had no prior attachment to the place. So what was her reason for asking such a thing? 

"No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?" Kaneki sought her reason for asking. 

"Don't you think maybe you should go back?" Moka asked, leaving him just as confused as ever. 

"No, there's no reason that I can think of. Why?" Kaneki asked with a perplexed look. 

"I think she's talking about your friend with the blue hair." Mizore clarified. 

"Touka-chan? I know she was upset yesterday, but why would I go back?" Kaneki asked, having yet to see their point. 

"Man you can be dense some times." Kurumu sighed, annoyed with his blunt tactlessness. "The reason she was upset was because she cares about you. She doesn't like that you're willing to throw yourself into danger so recklessly without thinking how it might affect others. That's why she was upset." The revelation began to weigh down on Kaneki. The truth of the situation began to fill him with guilt that weighed down on him like lead in the pit of his stomach. Though he thought he was being brave he was actually being selfish. He was not thinking of how others might have felt. He thought it wouldn't matter if someone like him faded away. Yet it would impact others more than it would himself. Touka didn't want to see him throw himself into danger with no regard for his life. Though she could appear cruel and heartless, she was actually very caring inside and was a product of the hard life she lived. Yet she still cared for her friends. 

For that matter, what did Kaneki friends with him think? Surely they too did not wish to see him willingly and recklessly throw himself into danger. Though they were willing to join by his side in such escapades, they too did not wish for any harm to befall him. Kaneki brought them all together, though they were in a rivalry over his affection he was the reason they all met and became friends. They all cared deeply for him and cared for his safety. Throwing caution to the wind and putting his life on the line like he was would not bring them any joy. He now realized that and saw the error of his ways. He hung his head and a sullen showed up on his face. There was now one more thing he had to do.

* * *

It was a quiet evening at Anteiku. Touka and Nishiki watched the floor together while Hinami resided upstairs. The shop was void of customers, leaving the two employees to do menial tasks to keep themselves busy. Neither Enji nor Kaya were scheduled to work that day, and Yoshimura had informed the present employees that he would be stepping out for a short while. Thus leaving them in charge for a short period of time. That was around an hour ago. He did not say exactly how long he would be gone or why he left. He had simply left on an errand and would be back before closing. The two student employees enjoyed the tranquil slower hours that they were currently in. It broke the monotonous pace of their usual rushed pace. 

Touka swept the floor with a broom while Nishiki attended the counter, giving the semblance that they were ready to work. Not many people acme during these twilight hours though. The shop was usually quiet in these waning hours towards the end of the day as few were looking for a caffeine boost at the end of their day. On occasion there would be someone with a craving for a cup of coffee that would happen by and stop in, but these were few and far between. This is what made their heads turn when the door opened. A blue haired boy entered the small shop and Nishiki was surprised to see someone stop by. He was surprised further when Touka suddenly dropped the broom and here eyes went wide with bewilderment. 

"Ayato." Her voice was soft, the wind taken from it with the shock of seeing her brother reappear once more. Nishiki recognized the name. He had heard of Kirishima Ayato through the grape vine but had never met him until now. Ayato was of average height for his age with hair the same hue as Touka, though his was more unkept. His eyes were the same shade of blue and gave off the vibe that he did not wish to be where he was at the moment. He glanced over to Touka after he heard her voice, his expression remaining unchanged. 

"'Sup, onee-san?" He asked in a rather casual tone. 

"Ayato, what are you doing back here?" Touka asked, still shocked to see him.

"I'm looking for someone, a guy who works here. The one who smells of Rize." Touka tensed up slightly. "So you know him?"

"I do, he's not here." Touka replied, now starting to regain her composure. Ayato looked over to Nishiki behind the counter. 

"What about you? You know where this guy is?" Ayato questioned him next.

"I don't think you'd believe me even if I told you." Nishiki responded with a grin. 

"Try me." 

"Alright. He's attending a private school for monster and youkai races." Nishiki told the other boy. There was a brief silence that followed. 

"You're right. I don't believe you." Ayato replied. He turned to face his sister once more. "Now cut the crap, my boss wants him found and sent me to fetch him. So where is he?" 

"I really don't know, and I really don't care." Touka reaffirmed. "He came by yesterday but I have no clue where he's staying. He _is_ attending a private school out of the city." 

"Good for him, I really don't give a shit." Ayato calmly snapped back, his impatience now showing. "Now quit being difficult and just tell me where he is sis. I'd really hate to have to get violent." 

"I already told you I don't know. I'm not his babysitter." Touka shot back. Ayato began to approach her without another word. Nishiki jumped over the counter, getting between the two siblings and putting a hand towards Ayato as to keep him back. 

"Alright, that's enough you." Nishiki warned. "Either buy something or get out you-" He didn't get to call Ayato a name as Ayato grabbed his wrist and threw him into the counter. Nishiki landed with a crash as the counter collapsed where he was tossed into. He quickly sat back upright and his ghoul eyes came out, along with his bright blue kagune. Ayato watched this while seeming not the least bit interested. 

"Stay down." Ayato ordered. "I'm not only stronger than you, i've also got the superior kagune." 

"Like I give a damn YOU BRAT!" Nishiki yelled as he shot up and lunged at Ayato. Ayato stepped back to dodge the first attack. Nishiki spun with the momentum of his attack, preforming a quick spin before kicking towards Ayato's head. Ayato simply grabbed the kick to intercept it. He then punched Nishiki in the knee with such great force that the joint broke and the breaking of bones could be heard. Nishiki yelled in pain as Ayato let out his own kagune. He then riddled Nishiki with kagune shards. After Nishiki was finished Ayato let him go and he dropped the ground. Touka watched in horror as the scene unfolded and Ayato won the fight with little effort. He then turned his attention to her. 

"Now it's your turn." He told her. Given no other choice, Touka prepared for battle and let out her own kagune. It was the same ukaku kagune as Ayato, evening the match some. though the balance would be thrown off by Ayato's superior experience. He easily dodged all of Touka's attacks, maneuvering around them skillfully. Touka launched herself towards the ceiling to gain some altitude above him. She shot down a volley of crystal shards towards him. He flipped through the air above them and kicked her as he straightened himself back out. Touka fell to the floor below. She tried to pick herself back up, but could not as Ayato landed on her, pinning her to the ground. 

"I warned you sis, now I gotta get violent." He grabbed one of her kagune wings. 

"What, what are you doing?" Touka asked fearfully. 

"I'm teaching you a lesson." He told her. "It's called Darwinism, the strong..." With a powerful jerk he tore off her wing. She screamed in immense pain and blood shout out from the wound. "Crush the weak!" The severed kagune began to dissolve into strands before fading into nothing. Another smaller one started to grow from the wound, but Ayato stomped it out like a flame. Touka let out another scream of pain as Ayato continued to torment her. "Now, if you want the pain to stop, answer me." He dug his foot into her wound, beginning to crush her kakuhou underneath. "Where is he?"

The bell above the door rang as someone entered the shop. Ayato cocked his head back and saw two figures now standing in the shop. One of them was his target, Kaneki Ken. Though his hair had changed, Ayato recognized his face from a picture shown, as well as his scent. It was unmistakably just like Rize. Kaneki at first looked stunned to see the scene before him. His surprised then shifted into anger. He furrowed his brows right at Ayato, who looked as apathetic as ever. "There you are." Ayato remarked as he let his foot off Touka and faced his target. Next to Kaneki was Moka, who looked more horrified at Touka's condition than anything. Ayato had no clue who she was and he did not concern himself with it. He had a simple goal, to bring Kaneki Ken back to his bosses in the 11th ward. 

"Who are you?" Kaneki questioned him sternly, clearly giving the impression he would not deal with any foolery from this stranger. 

"The name is Kirishima Ayato, and you're my target." Ayato informed him. Kaneki seemed unmoved at the name, though he instantly put it together. 

"Touka-chan, this is your brother?" Kaneki asked. Though still on the ground, Touka turned to him as best she could and nodded. Kaneki could see she was clearly in immense pain. This kept the burning flames of his anger hot.

"What do you want with Kaneki-kun?" Moka blurted out. 

"That's none of your damn concern." Ayato snapped. "All you need to know is my bosses want you. They want to have a chat involving your unique origin as well as our former member Yamori." Kaneki's fists clenched at the name. To him, Yamori was a monster. He could not be reasoned with and should not be sympathized with. He was better off put down as Kaneki had done. He did not regret the decision one bit. So anyone who was affiliated with Yamori must be just as bad. That is how Kaneki saw it. He now hated Ayato even more. "My partner is waiting outside. So don't do anything stupid or-"

The bell rung once more and was followed by a loud crash as the door was flung off its hinges. Kaneki and Moka turned back to see a blonde man in a white suit barge in with a frantic look on his face. He began to swing a koukaku blade around wildly, without any style or thought. Kaneki and Moka both back up quickly in shock as Ayato jumped out of the way of this madman's rampage. "BOSS YAMORI!" The man screamed frantically. "YOU! YOU KILLED HIM!"

"What the hell are you doing retard?!" Ayato reprimanded with with a slur. "You're messing it all up!"

"I'LL AVENGE HIM, I'LL AVENGE YOU BOSS YAMORI!" Naki screamed with rage. 

"Kaneki-kun!" Moka shouted in fright as she struggled to keep up with the pace. Reacting quickly, Kaneki reached over to her and ripped off her rosary. Powerful youkai energy began to flow out, causing a gust of wind in all directions that kept Naki back. Ayato held up his hands in response and watched as this strange energy came from the girl in Kaneki's company.

"You think this will stop me?! I'll never stop, never!" Naki declared as he swung once more. This time his swung was suddenly stopped and he felt a powerful hand latch onto his kagune. The energy subsided and now standing there was more mature silver haired woman with red slit eyes. She held onto Naki's kagune without any intention of letting go. Struggle as he might, he was stuck within her iron grasp. 

"What a fool, swinging around aimlessly and sputtering on." The now released Inner Moka mocked. In an instant she raised her leg and kicked Naki right in the temple. He was sent flying over the counter, crashing into the wall on the other side. There was a crater at the spot where he impacted the wall. He fell on his head and lay there upside down against the wall and floor. "Know your place!" Moka reprimanded him. 

"Y-yes ma'am." Naki weakly let out before felling unconscious in that aloof position. Ayato watched the whole scene play out with both shock and horrified realization. Nishiki had told him the the truth earlier. Kaneki was truly attending a school for non-humans. For Ayato knew whatever this girl was, she was neither human nor ghoul. Moka turned her attention to him next, causing him to take a cautionary step backwards.

"You... what the hell are you?" Ayato asked, attempting to sound steady though his voice waned in fear. He was clearly outmatched, and he knew it. Though he was stronger than Naki, the pure ease and little use of strength Moka used to defeat Naki made it blatantly clear that Ayato stood no chance. Moka, being an apex predator, picked up on his fear. She smirked in response. 

"What's the matter? Are you afraid of me?" She asked in a mocking tone. "Are you frightened by the difference in power?" Ayato gritted his teeth, not happy with being mocked like he was. "Though you ghouls can be resilient, you're still no match for a full fledged vampire." Moka told him as she brushed her hand through her hair. 

"Tch, why you..." Ayato began to growl. "Vampire huh? Then show me this power of yours!" Ayato shouted before lunging at Moka. He never even got close as he was struck from behind. He was so fixated on Moka and her sudden rush of power he never noticed Kaneki starting to strafe around him. One Ayato lunged, Kaneki hit him with a sneak attack. Ayato was sent flying past Moka and into the wall behind her. Kaneki's kagune was fully unleashed though his kakugan was concealed by his white eyepatch. Ayato picked himself up quickly and attempted to flee out the back, cursing in frustration as he did so. Kaneki wasn't going to let him flee just like that though. He gave chase, running at full speed out the back door. Moka followed them though at a more casual stroll of a pace. 

Kaneki found out back in the alley and jumped above him using his kagune. Kaneki sent all four of his rinkaku straight for his opponent. Ayato jumped out of the way and landed on a fire escape above. He shot out a volley of ukaku shards that Kaneki was able to dodge by pushing against the building parallel of Anteiku. He landed against Anteiku and then launched himself of that wall next. He flew through the air straight for Ayato, delivering a powerful kick that sent him crashing through a window and into the warehouse who's fire escape Ayato was previously perched on. Ayato fell from a second floor height onto a clod concrete floor below. He attempted to pick himself back up, but was swiftly forced back to the ground when Kaneki landed on top of him. Ayato was now pinned as Kaneki stood atop of him with one foot on his back. 

"You know, I really don't like it when people hurt my friends." Kaneki told Ayato in a menacing tone. "But since you're Touka-chan's only brother, I won't kill you. Instead i'll only beat you half to death." Kaneki pressed down on his back. "The average human body has 206 bones in it." Kaneki stated as he grabbed Ayato's wrist and held his arm up in the air. "So starting now, i'm going to break 103 of your bones. Starting with the fingers." There was a loud crack as Kaneki broke Ayato's left index finger. Ayato let out a scream of pain and Kaneki continued with his sentence. He broke all of Ayato's fingers on that hand before fracturing the rest of the bones in Ayato's hand. Ayato continued to howl in pain, the agony proving to be too much for even a seasoned ghoul like him. 

Kaneki continued down the arm , breaking all of Ayato's bones on the way. Kaneki was very though with his punishment, and made sure Ayato would learn his lesson. Though the Draconian nature of Kaneki's retribution may be seen as overkill. But Kaneki cared not for any such thoughts. To him, his friends were the most important thing in the world, and he would do anything to defend them. Those who would try to harm his friends would be due for swift retribution. Ayato would furthermore be living proof of this. After Kaneki was done and had literally beaten the other boy 'half to death' he turned from the incapacitated Ayato. He noticed Moka was standing in the warehouse with him now. She was leaning against a large metal storage crate with her arms crossed, watching over the scene intently. 

"You sure made an example out of him." Inner Moka commented. 

"Her hurt Touka-chan, and he's affiliated with Yamori." Kaneki replied. "Anyone who wanted anything to do with him must be just as bad." 

"That's some narrow minded thinking Kaneki Ken. The world is not so black and white." Moka lectured him. "Though I must admit, I am impressed with your sudden surge of power lately."

"Really?" Kaneki seemed a bit surprised by Inner Moka's compliment. She was usually much to proud to compliment others. 

"Indeed, though your strength still does not come close to mine." Her confidence began to show. "Yet still you've begun to show more aggression than even I. I understand your resolve to do what is necessary, but you are starting down a dangerous path. Be careful not to lose yourself." She warned him. 

* * *

A few minutes later Nishiki started to come to. He was no longer in the debris of what once was Anteiku's counter. Rather he was laying down on the floor nearby while Kaneki and Moka saw to Touka's wounds. Though neither of the two were medical experts, they were able to reduce the pain and by then her healing factor had already recovered her for the most part. Nishiki felt the pain of a slight headache but was otherwise fine as he too had healed. He rubbed his forehead as he got up on his feet. "Ah, you're awake." Kaneki noticed. 

"Kaneki? When did you get here?" Nishiki asked, confused on the matter of his presence. 

"Not long after you blacked out I guess." Kaneki replied. "Glad to see you're up already though." Kaneki told him with a friendly smile. He then turned his attention to Touka, who was sitting against a wall and looking off into the distance. "Touka-chan." Kaneki spoke softly, getting her attention as he called her name. "The reason I came here in the first place was to apologize. I was inconsiderate of your feelings yesterday. I know you're worried about going after Kanou, and i'm sorry I was oblivious yesterday. But please don't worry about me, i'll be fine. Because i'm not ready die yet." Touka stared at him wide eyed for a moment, stunned by his confession. After a brief moment of astonishment she turned her head away from him. 

"You had better." Was all she said. Kaneki smiled, accepting that as her way of forgiving him. Touka never showed her emotions, she was more cold than that after living the hard life of a ghoul. It was after that moment of reconciliation that Yoshimura returned to the shop. As soon as he had stepped through the front door he was overcome with shock at seeing the disastrous state of his establishment. The counter and wall behind it were in shambles, the counter itself being irrecoverable. Though Naki was gone as he had to too not long after his defeat, deciding to promptly flee the coffee shop. There were also numerous tables knocked over with sugar packets and creamers scattered all about. The place looked disastrous. Yoshimura's only relief was that no one was hurt and no one beyond those there at the time had seen the current state of the small shop. 

"What happened?" Yoshimura asked, sounding aghast. Kaneki stood up from Touka's side. 

"It was Touka-chan's brother, Ayato." Kaneki informed his former manager. "Don't worry, we took care of him." 

"Oh, how unfortunate." Yoshimura showed grief at the news. He had once held high hopes for the young boy. Now he was a lost soul, angry at the world and no longer the company that Yoshimura wished to keep. "Though I am glad you all are here. I must have taken too much time on my errand." 

"It's not your fault manager." Kaneki reassured him. "I came by and took care of it. Though I think I should leave you to clean up now." 

"Actually Kaneki, it is you who I was running my errand for." Yoshimura told the boy. Kaneki looked surprised by the revelation. Though he had always known Yoshimura to be kind and help others, he was not expecting his help now. Especially since the only thing he could mean would be with Kaneki's plans while staying in Tokyo. "I was seeking for someone in particular who I feel may be willing to help you with your quest." Yoshimura explained. The door the shop once more opened, the bell above ringing since it was fortunate enough to be sparred in the previous skirmish. Moka noticed that the others in the shop all tensed up when they saw the man in the purple suit enter the shop. He inhaled a large breath of air before letting out a smaller more subtle exhale. 

"Ah, the fragrance here always warms me." Tsukiyama commented at the smell of coffee that saturated the air. "Though it seems as if Anteiku has seen better days." 

"Tsukiyama." Touka gritted her teeth at the sight of him, uttering his name as if it were some fowl incurable disease. 

"So, you're still alive." Kaneki commented, his tone making it clear his feelings towards Tsukiyama were the same as Touka's. 

"No need to be so hostile Monsieur Kaneki. I did in fact come here to help you." Tsukiyama replied, trying to get Kaneki to cease his hostility. 

"Kaneki-kun, who is this person?" Moka asked, confused to everyone's aggression. 

"His name is Tsukiyama. He tried to eat Nishiki's girlfriend and myself before." Kaneki told her. This caused Moka to tense up a bit too. She now saw this strange man in a different light. 

"That was a long time ago though. I assure you my intentions this time around are noble." Tsukiyama calmly defended himself, keeping his formal appearance all the while. 

"I thought he might be of some help to you on your mission. So I asked if he'd be willing to lend a hand." Yoshimura explained. 

"And I am more than willing to lend a hand to my dear Kaneki." Tsukiyama added. He then took a knee and bowed to Kaneki with a hand over his heart, a gesture to show respect and servitude. "I shall be your sword and shield on whatever endeavor you have planned. I will use my life to serve and protects yours. Of this you have my word." Kaneki was silent for a moment. He was trying to process whether or not Tsukiyama was truthful about his vows. Kaneki eventually decided that whether or not Tsukiyama was lying, he could at least use Tsukiyama's help. If he tried anything, Kaneki would be sure to put him back in his place. He was not only strong enough now, but he had his friends to protect him as well. There was no way Tsukiyama could stand up to Moka in her vampiric form.

"Alright, you can help. But..." Kaneki suddenly leaned in close and gave the Gourmet a look. It was a wide eyed look of a mad man, the message it sent was clear. Kaneki was not to be trifled with. "If you try anything, I swear I will fucking kill you." Tsukiyama looked shocked by this. This was a different Kaneki than he had once know. The kind gentle nature of the boy was replaced with the cold ruthlessness many ghouls had developed. Tsukiyama again smiled. 

"I understand." He replied. _Dear Kaneki, you are going to be so much more fun to catch now._ He silently thought, plotting his own goals. Kaneki could not tell that Tsukiyama was plotting against him, and accepted that Tsukiyama would be on his best behavior. Tsukiyama then rose and bowed once more. Without another word Kaneki left the shop with Moka following right behind. She appeared to be even more suspicious than Kaneki was, as she eyed him as the two of them left the small coffee shop. Leaving the employees to clean the mess left from the events prior. 


	13. A Visitor

"Are you sure you want to do this Kaneki-kun?" Moka asked with blatant concern. 

"I'm positive." Kaneki answered before he reached over and pulled off her rosary. Powerful youkai energy began to emanate from her, causing a force that could be felt across the rooftop. After a few moments she was not standing there with her inner self unleashed. The silver haired Moka eyed Kaneki with slight amusement. 

"Final chance to back out of this." She warned. "You know how strong I am and I won't be holding back." 

"That's fine." Kaneki responded. "I heal fast, so don't hold back against me." He reaffirmed his decision before holding one hand up defensively and reeling the other back by his wrist, taking a fighting stance before battle. "This is the only way i'm going to get stronger." Moka smirked in response to his resolve. She then came at him full force. Her first strike was a kick that was aimed straight for his head. Her intent was the end the fight in one strike as she usually had. Kaneki blocked her with his forearm. However, the sheer force of her kick was enough to shatter his bone, causing his left forearm to go limp. He lowered his arm to his side and allowed it time to heal. 

Moka's next strike was to continue to momentum of her spin and deliver a spinning heel kick. Kaneki ducked under it and aimed a punch at the back of the knee of her grounded leg. Moka jumped to dodge this and gained height above him. She came straight down with the intent to kick him. Kaneki unleashed his kagune and forced her to change her plan of attack. She maneuvered out of the way as his four rinkaku shot straight up at her. She landed on the ground near him and turned to Kaneki. She raised her right leg and delivered a rapid series of kicks aimed at his chest and stomach. Kaneki blocked these ferocious strikes with his kagune. The brittle scales began to crack from the force of her attacks. They shortly shattered like glass right before Kaneki's eyes, leaving him wide open. Moka quick switched legs and delivered a powerhouse kick that connected straight with his gut and sent him flying back.

Kaneki was nearly sent flying off the edge of the roof but was able to stop himself just in time. His left arm had healed by now and he was ready to strike. He reformed his kagune and launched himself at her. He spun through the air like a bullet and brought all of his kagune appendages down at her at an angle. Moka jumped out of the way as a cloud of debris erupted from where she once stood. Kaneki lunged at her once more. He shot through the air and sent all four of his kagune limbs towards Moka. Moka rushed in towards him and slid underneath Kaneki. They passed by each other, landing only a few feet apart. Kaneki turned back to face her to find Moka was already in air and mid flip. She back flipped towards him and once upside down delivered a powerful kick that connected with the top of Kaneki's skull. His eyes rolled back and his kagune retreated back into his body. He fell to the ground limp, knock unconscious from Moka's mighty kick. 

Moka ended up landing on her feet unharmed while Kaneki lay defeated. She smirked after it was all said and done. He had actually put up more of a fight than she expected. She had intended to win with her first blow. He had not only managed to block it but to continue to fight back even with a broken arm. He was indeed stronger than he was when he first arrived at Youkai Academy. That timid young boy was now replaced with a tougher and more cold personality. Though at time he could seem downright heartless when it came to the people he was fighting. But he was still Kaneki, and though she would not admit it, this side of him was starting to impress the Inner Moka.

* * *

Kaneki awoke the next morning after the fight. He was on his bed dressed in the same clothes he was the night prior, black slacks along with a black t-shirt. His head felt fine even after taking such a powerful attack. That was all thanks to his healing powers. To him physically it felt as if nothing had ever happened. Mentally however, he felt changed. He now had a firm grasp on the power difference between him and a vampire. He had a long way to go if he was going to become that strong. Yet he was determined to. He would not allow himself to become weak again. The weak would only be snuffed out. 

He couldn't allow that to happen to him. He had to become strong. All to protect his friends and what he held dear. Kaneki would not allow for them to be hurt. He would protect them the same way Moka had back at Youkai Academy. Kaneki knew once they returned from their break they would go back to the same Darwinist laws. The strong crushed the weak, and the weak just disappeared. Kaneki would not be weak. He refused to vanish. 

Kaneki got himself out of bed and headed for the living room and kitchen area of his apartment. He found the girls of his club gathered there around the table. Yukari had just exited the kitchen and had brought everyone tea. It was when she came to the table she noticed Kaneki in the room. "Ah, good morning Kaneki-kun!" Yukari greeted him. The others all noticed he had joined them after Yukari's announcement. 

"Boy, you're up later than usual." Kurumu commented. 

"Yeah, I was up late last night." Kaneki responded. 

"Doing what exactly?" Kurumu asked with a suspicious look. "I know you went to the roof with Moka-san last night." 

"I-It's not what you think." Moka defended herself nervously. 

"Then just what were you two doing alone last night?" Mizore asked with equal mistrust. 

"We were sparring." Kaneki told them, attempting to calm them down. "I asked Moka-chan to help me train."

"Really? You fought with him Moka-san?" Kurumu asked, a bit confused for only a brief moment. "Wait, don't tell me you transformed."

"I did." Moka admitted. 

"Are you crazy?" Kurumu now directed her attention to Kaneki. "I know you're tough but you're nowhere near as strong as Moka-san."

"I know. That's why I have to get stronger." Kaneki replied dryly. "I knew the risks and asked Moka-chan to do it anyways. It was my decision." 

"That was really dangerous you know." Kurumu reminded him. 

"I know, but i'm fine with it. I've been in danger before and it's going to happen again. That's why I have to get stronger. To protect you guys." Kurumu was speechless after he had said that. She had wanted to argue that it was a bad idea to fight Moka's other self. Yet he was only putting himself in danger in order to become strong enough to protect his friends. His intentions were noble, and Kurumu felt conflicted on the matter. She decided to say nothing more. It was then that Gin entered the room from the small front hall. 

"Yo Kaneki!" Gin called as he entered the room. "There's someone here looking for you."

"For me?" Kaneki repeated in confusion. 

"Yeah, no clue who the guy is though." Gin replied. 

"Alright, wel let him in." Kaneki decided. Whoever it was Kaneki doubt he meant any harm. He wouldn't come to their apartment in broad daylight if he did. Even if this stranger was looking for trouble, there was still a room full of powerful youkai fight back. He would be easily outmatched. Gin turned back to the door and opened it. He welcomed the stranger in. A man with short brown hair and a small beard in a swirl pattern entered the apartment. Kaneki was sure he had never met this man before, and was unsure as to why he had come. 

"Are you Kaneki Ken?" The man asked. 

"Yes, why do you ask?" Kaneki replied. 

"I'm looking for a friend of mine, Kamishiro Rize. I was told you might know where she is." The stranger answered. That answer caught Kaneki totally by surprise. He had not expected anyone from Rize's past to go searching for her. Then again, he knew next to nothing of Rize's life. Only that she had inhabited the 20th ward and had an insatiable appetite. He had no idea who she had interactions with or any clue as to who she was close to. Whoever this man was it was evident that he cared for Rize if he was searching for her after all this time. It had been months since her disappearance. If he was still looking then he was obviously devoted. 

This only made it harder for Kaneki to break the news to him. Rize was dead, Kaneki had witnessed her demise. He felt uneasy relaying Rize's fate to this stranger he had never met before. Kaneki was sure that this man would not take it well. Though would it be cruel to lie? To send him on a goose chase because Kaneki could not tell him the truth. Kaneki knew that lying would just continue this man's endless quest. Though he could not bring himself to own up to the truth. In the end, he decided to spare his feelings.

"Rize-san is no longer here. I haven't seen her in months. I don't know where she is." He relayed plainly. It did hurt him to send this man off without the answers he wanted but Kaneki did not wish to distress him. The man raised one eyebrow and gave Kaneki a suspicious look. He moved towards Kaneki, getting uncomfortably close. Kaneki just stared in confusion she this man eyed Kaneki up then sniffed him. 

"You smell like Rize-san." The man noted. "What have you been doing with Rize-san?!" He demanded before taking a swing at Kaneki. Kaneki easily side stepped it to dodge. The man was then sent flying face first into the floor, knocking himself out with his own force. The whole scene was more comical than anything else. The group in the room all stared down at him, astonished that he managed to take himself out.

* * *

Half an hour later, he suddenly sat upright on the couch in Kaneki's apartment. He looked around to see the girls of Youkai Academy's newspaper club gathered around with their arms crossed and irate expressions on their faces. Kaneki was standing in the center of them with a more neutral expression on his face. Gin was in the background, leaning against a wall closer to the kitchen. "Ah, you're awake." Kaneki observed. "After you tried to attack me I put you here. I normally would be pretty angry, but... I kinda felt bad considering." The man looked down in shame. "Would you like some water mister..."

"Banjou." He replied. "Banjou Kazuichi. Though you can just call me Banjou."

"Then would you like some water Banjo-san?" Kaneki asked. Banjo nodded silently. Kaneki went over to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. He brought it back to the living room and handed it to Banjou, who was still sitting on the couch with his legs resting up on it. He took offering a simple "Thanks." in return. He took a sip before looking down in his continued shame. "Just so you know there's no hard feelings about what happened." Kaneki told him.

"Speak for yourself." Kurumu muttered with a tone of animosity. Though it went unnoticed by anyone else. 

"Thanks." Banjou replied plainly. "I'm sorry for attacking you like that. I kinda of just lost it when I smelled her scent on you." 

"I assure you nothing happened between me and Rize-san. I'm sorry I can't be of any more help." 

"I'm not stupid. I know she's probably dead." Banjou suddenly asserted. This surprised Kaneki, as he was not expecting Banjo to admit to the fruitlessness of his endeavor. "But I can't help it either. I know you must be lying to try and spare my feelings. I think that makes you a pretty good guy." Kaneki was not expecting to hear that either. Banjou had seen through his bluff, yet he was not mad. He had understood Kaneki's intent and was grateful for it. Banjou knew the truth but did not want to accept it until it could be completely proven. Which is why he understood Kaneki's intent to spare his feelings. 

"Rize-san was important to me." Banjou went on. "Things in the 11th ward haven't been the same since she left. Especially once Aogiri moved in." 

"Aogiri?" Kaneki asked. Banjou turned to him and gave Kaneki a dumbfounded look. 

"You serious? How have you not heard of Aogiri Tree by now?" Banjou asked. 

"I've been out of town for awhile. Tell me about them." Kaneki replied. 

"Even if you've been away, I would have thought for sure everyone heard about their raid on Cochlea." Banjo surmised. "Aogiri Tree is an extremest group that's taken over in the 11th ward. They're targeting investigators all over the city and are growing in numbers more and more every day. The CCG has already raided their base once and that didn't slow them down at all. In fact they retaliated almost instantly. They attacked the Ghoul Detention Center in the 23rd ward and doubled the casualties they received. They broke out a lot of the stronger ghouls and took them into their ranks. They're dangerous and the leaders are incredibly powerful. I still remember the day they took over. Kirishima Ayato came into our hideout and-"

"Did you say Kirishima Ayato?" Kaneki interrupted to make sure he heard that right. 

"Yeah, that's right." Bajou confirmed. Kaneki tensed up a bit and Banjou took notice of it. It was clear Kaneki knew of Ayato, perhaps even had some sort of connection with him. 

"Is he one of their leaders?" Kaneki asked.

"No, he's one of their higher ranking members but he's not one of the leaders." 

"Do you know if they've ever had a ghoul working for them by the name of Yamori?" Kaneki inquired. 

"You mean Jason of the 13th ward, that Yamori?" Banjou suddenly looked fearful, like prey coming face to face with a predator. "Yeah, he was with them I heard but i've never seen him. Though i've heard plenty of stories. Why do you ask." 

"Because i've met him before." Kaneki revealed. Again Banjou began to look frightened. "Don't worry, I killed him."

"You what?" Banjou muttered in shock. "You mean you were really strong enough to take him down?" Banjou asked as he turned his body so that his legs were now off the couch and he was sitting on the couch normally. Kaneki nodded in response. Banjou was shocked. He had heard plenty of horror stories about Jason of the 13th ward. He was a terrifying force to be feared. Yet here this boy he had just met had taken him down. Banjou was starting to think that throwing a punch at Kaneki was even more stupid than he had first realized. 

"So who are these leaders?" Kaneki asked.

"Well I know the head of the organization is known as The One-Eyed King. Though no one knows who he really is or what he looks like besides for the other executives. There's Tatara who works directly under the One-Eyed King and gives out his orders. Then there's Noro, he's silent but he gives me the creeps. With them is usually Eto, even though as far as I know she's not the same rank as them. That's all I know."

"I see. One more thing, do you know if there's a Dr. Kanou in their employ?" Kaneki questioned him one last time. 

"I don't know. Why do you ask?" Banjou inquired back. Kaneki was silent for a moment as he tried to process all the information he was just given. During the semester he had spent at Youkai Academy a dangerous group of ghoul extremists had taken over the 11th ward of Tokyo and were essentially waging war on the CCG. Their leaders were also apparently incredibly strong. So much so that they were able to control and keep Yamori in check. It was evident that Aogiri was dangerous, and for some reason were looking for Kaneki. They were a threat to him and his friends, and they knew about Youkai Academy. 

Kaneki was going to find out about them during his stay as well. They were a clear and present threat. Especially if they had the manpower to take on the CCG's ghoul prison. Cochlea was known as a heavily fortified maximum security prison where ghoul prisoners of the CCG were held. It was not something for the feint of heart to take head on. Yet Aogiri had not only attacked the prison but pulled off a very successful raid. Kaneki could only speculate on how large and powerful Aogiri Tree truly was. However he could not just run away and hide. His time at Youkai Academy was limited, and even then they knew of it's whereabouts and where to find him. He couldn't afford to be caught off gaurd there, not again. However Kanou came first. Kaneki had to find out the truth. 

"Banjou-san." Kaneki addressed his guest. "Would you like to know the truth about what happened to Rize-san?"

"What? You know where she is?" Banjou sounded shocked. 

"It started several months ago, almost a year now come to think of it." Kaneki begun. "I had met Rize-san at a coffee shop and asked her out on a date. She said yes and we ended up getting coffee together and talking about our favorite books. Then while we were walking back to her place she attacked me. I was almost a goner, i'm sure I would have been eaten if it were not for sheer luck. We were in a construction site at the time and  few heavy steel girders came down and crushed her. Rize-san died there." 

"I see..." Banjou stared down in woe. "Buy you said she would have eaten you. I never knew Rize-san to cannibalize other ghouls." 

"I wasn't a ghoul back then." Kaneki explained. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them and revealing his single kakugan to a stunned Banjou. "I am an artificial ghoul, a One-Eyed Ghoul. After the accident I received a transplant from Rize-san in order to save my life. Which caused me to become a ghoul." Banjou stared back in a silent stupor. Kaneki's story was such a shock he had no idea how to respond. A human becoming a ghoul, that was unheard of. It almost seemed surreal. "However, I recently learned that a simple organ transplant is not enough to turn a human into a ghoul. Instead the kakuhou of an already existing ghoul must be implanted into the other for the transformation to work. Meaning that what happened to me was no accident. My friends and I are planning to confront this doctor at his home and get some answers out of him. I know Rize-san was close to you, that's why I want to ask you if you would like to come with us."

Kankei's friends all looked at him with wide eyed shock. He had not only revealed their whole plan to a complete stranger but had asked him to help as well. It seemed absurd, especially considering that Banjou had tried to attack Kaneki. However Kaneki trusted Banjou. Even though they had just met Kaneki could tell that Banjou was being sincere with his care for Rize. He believed Banjou's intentions were pure and held no ill feelings towards Banjou's attempted assault. Banjou was silent as he tried to think about everything. The boy he had accused of having an affair with Rize was actually a half ghoul who had inherited her kagune due to circumstances outside of his control. Not only that but it was possibly all the plot of some mad doctor. Even though the truth had hurt him, Banjou wanted answers now as well. Mostly to find if this doctor had anything to do with Rize's death. 

"Alright." Banjou decided resolutely. "I'll help you out. For Rize-san." 

"Thank you Banjou-san." Kaneki appreciated his assistance. 

"Though I have to ask what about your friends here? They don't smell like ghouls, do you really want to bring humans into this?" Kaneki turned back to his fellow club members for guidance. He was not sure whether or not he should reveal their identities to Banjou. After all, the truth about them would be even more unbelievable than what happened to Kaneki. Gin was the one who ended up giving a response. 

"You've already come this far, might as well tell him the rest." Gin decided. Since he was the club president Kaneki decided to take his advice. 

"Banjou-san, the truth is no one here is human." Kaneki told their new ally. "The reason I was out of town was because I was attending a school for youkai and other non-human beings. Everyone of my friends is some form of youkai." 

"What, you serious?" Banjou responded with disbelief. Kaneki along with the rest of the Newspaper Club nodded. 

"That's right, i'm actually a super cool witch, desu!" Yukari exclaimed. 

"While I am a stunning succubus." Kurumu boasted confidently. 

"Yukki-onna." Mizore's reveal was far more subtle. 

"Vampire." Moka told Banjou with a bright smile.

"And I, the fearless leader of our club, am a werewolf?" Gin revealed.

"Since when are you fearless?" Kurumu remarked. 

"Trust me, we're all a lot stronger than we look. Don't worry, we can look out for ourselves, and we look out for each other too." Kaneki told Banjou. "You have a mask right?"

"Yeah, what ghoul doesn't?" Banjou replied. 

"Good. Bring it tomorrow night. That's when we leave. Doctor Kanou has a mansion outside of town, that's where we're head." Kaneki relayed to their new team member. He then offered a hand and amiable smile to Banjou. "It's good to have you with us Banjou-san." Banjou reached out and shook Kaneki's hand, a signature of a newly formed bond between the two of them. Banjou was now an ally to them, a new comrade on their adventure while they would b in Tokyo. Their stay was brief so they intended to make the most of it. Come the following night, they would find the answers they were seeking. Whether or not they would like them. 


	14. Dawn of the long night

It was dark, early into the night as the sun had just recently set. The bright city lights of Tokyo glowed so bright that they could be seen from space. It was the night which Kaneki and his group would search the house of Dr. Kanou for the answers that the half-ghoul so desperately craved. He along with the rest of the newspaper club were outside the city limits, on their way to Kanou's mansion. The mansion was not far from the city limits, and easy walk for the six of them. They stuck to the area away from the roads and off the beaten path. That way no one would see them and suspect anything. A group of teenagers travelling outside of the city on foot might raise a few questions. 

It took about ten minutes after leaving the city limits for them to arrive at the mansion. They went to a hill that overlooked the property. Tsukiyama was already there waiting for them. He turned to the club with a seemingly warm smile. "Bonne soirée monsieur Kaneki." Tsukiyama greeted Kaneki as he approached with the rest of the club. 

"Tsukiyama, you're here already." Kaneki remarked. 

"Of course. I arrived an hour early to scout out the area." Tsukiyama reported. "There has been no sign of movement in or out of the mansion within the last hour." 

"Great work Tsukiyama." Kaneki complimented him. "Now we just have to wait for one more person." Then as if on cue, another figure came strolling up the hill that overlooked Kanou's mansion. Tsukiyama watched as a new face joined the group waiting for their member. Banjou had arrived on the scene dressed in his grey hoodie with yellow stripes where the sleeves met the jacket and around the cuff. Underneath that that was a plain black tee. He was also sporting his mask which covered the lower half of his face and had a horizontal breathing hole where his lips should be, along with four other smaller holes around it. 

"Hey guys, i'm not late am I?" Banjou asked as he joined the raid party. 

"No Banjou-san. We just arrived as well." Kaneki commented. "Tsukiyama this is Banjou Kazuichi, a friend of Rize-San. He'll be joining us tonight." Kaneki informed his early party member. Kaneki then turned back to face Banjou. "Banjou-san, this is Tsukiyama Shuu." 

"The Gourmet?" Banjou replied with shock. 

"The one and only." Tsukiyama responded with both grace and pride, gesturing to himself as he did so. "I see you brought your mask with you. Are we expecting trouble?" 

"I'm not sure, so I told Banjou-san to bring his anyway." Kaneki stated. "I brought mine as well." He added as he pulled his own folded up mask out of his back pocket. "Better safe than sorry." Kaneki donned his own black leather mask. The black and sleek design along with the zipper mouth made him seem rather intimidating. It also went along with the black bodysuit that served as his battle suit. 

"I see. I have seen no reason to be suspicious, but... " Tsukiyama retrieved his own crescent shaped mask from his suit and wore it as well. "I do love a masquerade." 

* * *

The large decorate wooden doors at the front of the mansion creaked as Kaneki opened them too take a look inside. The mansion looked decayed an abandoned, as if it had been neglected for nearly a decade. The paint on the walls was faded and peeling. Spider webs could be found in many corner of the rooms and around any little furniture that remained such as empty bookshelves. There were no lights anywhere, nor did the switch work when Kaneki tried to flip it. The place seemed more like a haunted house attraction than a piece of property someone actually owned. The atmosphere was downright eerie. 

"What a spooky place." Banjou commented. 

"I wonder if it's haunted." Yukari commented aloud. 

"Don't say that, you'll scare me." Banjou replied. Kaneki thought to himself about how even ghouls could be afraid of ghosts. Though he shouldn't be surprised by now. He had come to learn ghouls were more similar to humans than he first thought. In regards that were both good and bad. 

"Actually..." Tsukiyama spoke up. "This house originally belonged to a merchant who had become rather wealthy. He lived here with his wife and their two children. They were a very loving and happy family. The dream idea of one you could say. Then one day a ghoul came into this mansion and the wife. The merchant tried to fight back but was ultimately killed. The ghoul then went on to devour the corpses of the parents right in front of the children."

"Th-that's not true is it?" Kurumu asked fearfully. 

"I'm afraid it it." Tsukiyama responded bluntly. "That is the cruelty that ghouls can be capable of."

"They're not the only ones." Moka commented. 

"Hey, over here." Mizore called out. "There's a basement." The rest of the group came over to the decaying wooden door that was now open, exposing a descending staircase. There was am empty socket where a light should have been though it was now empty. Thus causing the stairway to be void of light and sight was limited to no more than couple feet, even for the ghouls and the vampire. 

"Don't you think it's a little cliche?" Tsukiyama asked. "A mad scientist hiding secrets in his basement?" 

"Maybe. But we should check it out anyway." Kaneki replied. He went down first into the dark below. Moka followed close behind him with Yukari hanging close to her. This order was followed by Tsukiyama, Mizore, Banjou, and finally a still frightened Kurumu. About halfway down Kaneki could see a light coming for the bottom of the staircase. He descended further and arrived in the basement of the mansion. The basement was unlike the rest of the gothic mansion. Kaneki arrived to a hallway that did not seem to have any doors or windows. The walls were a pristine white and looked more well kept than anywhere else within the building. There were also working fluorescent lights that made the whole hallway well lit. It took a second to get used to the change in light but the whole party quickly adapted as they arrived at the bottom of the steps. Though the mansion above looked abandoned this basement hallway was clear evidence that someone had been around recently. 

"Well, this is certainly different." Tsukiyama remarked. 

"Sure doesn't look abandoned anymore." Kurumu noticed. 

"Keep your eyes open." Kaneki told them. "We don't know what might be down here." 

"Like ghosts." Mizore joked dryly.

"Will you knock it off?" Kurumu shot back. 

The group of ghouls and youkai headed down that long hallway that was the basement of Kanou's manor. It was all the same all the way throughout, plain white walls that lacked doors or furnishing. It almost seemed like going through the same looping scenery over and over again. There were a few indents in the walls evenly spaced apart from one another where it would seem a door should go yet there was none. It was just a single hallway and soon the whole group found themselves only feet away from the end with nothing out of the ordinary in sight. 

"There's nothing here" Kaneki noted. 

"That's odd, why would they leave the lights on if there's nothing down here?" Moka questioned. 

"I don't know, but I want to get out of this creepy place." Kurumu grumbled. "I think I just felt a chill down here." She turned to head back to the stairs but was stopped by something mere inches from her face. A pale blue ghost loomed in the air above her. "UWAAAAA!" Kurumu screamed at the top of her lungs and jumped back several feet. The rest of the group turned to see Kurumu shaking on the ground and with all the color drained from her face. It took her a few moments to realize that what she had actually seen was a sculpture made of ice in the shape of a ghost. There was giggling coming from behind the ice statue and Mizore appeared from behind the ghost with a grin on her face. 

"I'm sorry, that was just too good to pass up." She explained. The color began to return to Kurumu's face, this time as a bright shade of red. 

"Hey! You made me look like a total fool in front of Kaneki-kun!" Kurumu shouted. 

"Ha, she got you good!" Yukari mocked. 

"I'll say." Gin agreed while still chuckling. "That was hilarious." Their laughter only further enraged the already irate Kurumu. She glared at Mizore and unleashed her claws and wings. 

"Why you..." She attack with a swipe of her claws. Mizore was easily able to side step the enraged and clumsy strike. Kurumu ended up destroying the ice ghost and sending shards flying into the wall next to it. "I'll get you for that! How dare you make me look like a fool in front of my Kaneki-kun!"

"He never said anything about belonging to you. Besides..." Mizore created claws around her hands formed from ice. "I won't let you have him." 

"Are they fighting over him?" Banjou shouted an observatory remark. 

"Yeah, this happens." Yukari informed him a bit more calm and used to the sight than one should be. Kurumu and Mizore getting into fights over Kaneki was just a normal sight for the Newspaper Club, though physical fights or confrontations were not as common. Once more it would be up to Kaneki to break things up and stop this before anything truly began. 

"Alright, that's enough you two." Kaneki reprimanded them. "Stop this now before..." He stopped when he got a glance of the wall Kurumu had partially destroyed. Kurumu and Mizore both looked over to see a small hole in wall which now began to move. Around the hole the wall seemed to be made out of a glowing red material that began to undulate. It looked entirely unnatural. 

"Wh-what is that?" Banjou asked at seeing the strange wall. 

"I see..." Tsukiyama observed. "That is an Rc wall. They're used in the 24th ward to throw off investigators. They can be made to look like any type of material but respond to a kagune. It seems as if that attack was powerful enough to punch through it."

"That  must mean if we're going to find anything here it'll be beyond that wall." Gin realized. Kaneki understood as well and in a flash he let out part of his kagune to smash through the wall, leaving an opening wide enough for them to fit through. He kagune retracted into his body after that and he turned to face his two friends still in a standoff position. 

"Good job Kurumu-chan." He praised her. 

"Thanks Kaneki-kun!" She replied with a wide grin. Kurumu then stuck her tongue out at Mizore as an immature gesture. Mizore retracted her ice claws and gave the succubus a rather unamused look. The group made their way through the passage in the Rc wall and into the hidden parts of the basement. They all knew that this place was hidden for a reason, and any answers they were trying to find they would find here. Kaneki led the group and kept his wits about him as he did so. He noticed a security camera watching them as they made their way down the hidden hall. He had no doubt that Kanou was monitoring them and knew they were coming. He was at a safe distance waiting and plotting against them. 

There was nothing they could do about it though. They had to push forward and find where Kanou was hiding. The hall that had branched off looked just like the other one with it's white walls and fluorescent lights. However this hall did not come to a dead end. There was a light at the end of the hall that the party soon came upon. They entered a large room with a grey tiled floor that had a single exit on the other side. However, in their way stood two figures. One robed in black and the other in white. They were two figures that the Newspaper Club recognized. 

"We can not let you pass." The figure in black calmly asserted. 

"Hey, they're those two that attacked Kaneki-kun when we first came to Tokyo!" Kurumu shouted as she recognized to the two disguised women. 

"Moka-chan, i'll remove your rosary. After that I want you to follow my lead." Kaneki told her. Moka nodded in confirmation. Kaneki reached over and pulled off the silver rosary around her neck. There was a powerful surge of energy that was unleashed as Moka began to transform into her true inner self. This power could be felt by the two girls across the room who held their hands up as the force of Moka's energy caused wind that pushed out in all directions. After the transformation Moka was standing before them transformed and with a far more intimidating presence. 

"Looks like she's even stronger than he is." The girl in white noted to her sister. 

"Oh my, this is quite a surprise." Tsukiyama commented. He had never seen Moka's true power before, and being in the presence of it he could feel her raw power. It was completely overwhelming.  Far more than he could ever imagined. He was a little glad he did not have to face her during his previous encounter with Kaneki. 

"Well then, take the lead." Inner Moka ordered Kaneki. He crouched a bit in order to take off faster and his ghoul kakugan eye came out. With blazing speed he launched himself straight towards the two girls. 

"My time to deal with you is zero!" He shouted. Kaneki then launched himself above the two girls and onto the ceiling. He then propelled himself behind the two of them and took off running. The two girls both looked back as Kaneki took off away from them. "I leave the rest to you guys!" Kaneki shouted as he took off. The two distracted ghouls failed to noticed Moka who had run straight past them and quickly caught up with Kaneki. The girls let out their kagune and prepared to chase after them. They were stopped when shards of ice were sent flying towards them and just barely missed in between them. They both dodged to opposite sides. They turned to face Mizore with Kurumu by her side. 

"Just leave it to us Kaneki-kun." Mizore said as she transformed both her hands into ice claws. 

"We'll take care of things for you here." Kurumu agreed, unleashing her wings and claws. 

* * *

Up ahead, Kaneki and Moka were still running from the previous scene. Despite the fact that they had left the skirmish behind quite awhile ago they did not lose any speed or momentum. "So your decision was to split up, was that it?" Moka asked. 

"Yeah, Kanou may be using them as a distraction while he escapes. We can't let him get away." Kaneki responded.

He had come too far to let everything slip away now. If Kanou was trying to run away Kaneki was sure to give chase. He would not let victory escape so easily. He had made the decision to leave the others to deal with the two ghouls while he and Moka would head on by themselves. They were the two strongest of their group and together they should be able to overcome anything else Kanou might throw their way. They eventually came upon another room where the passageway ended several feet above the next room to a ladder down. They both leapt from the passage and landed on the floor below. They looked around to see no other way out. 

"It looks like a dead end." Kaneki noticed. "Unless there's another Rc wall around here." 

He began to look around for any sign of an Rc Wall. A slightly different paint color, a chip, anything that would give it away as a fake wall. Moka too began to examine her surroundings for any clues. Using her enhanced sense of smell to to try and identify anything out of the ordinary. What she picked up was that they were not alone in that room. 

"Up there!" Moka exclaimed as she looked up. Kaneki looked up to the ceiling to see a very muscular man standing on the ceiling, held there by a large red bikaku type kagune in the shape of a whale's tail. The man released his kagune and retracted it into his body, falling to the ground below. He landed in front of Kaneki and Moka whostood there and watched this man, waiting for him to make a move. He turned to face them and stared them down with an intense look. 

"You there boy." He remarked towards Kaneki. "You smell like Rize." 

"You know Rize?" Kaneki asked, sounding a bit surprised. "I don't have time to explain. Besides, if you're here I bet you already know why." The man nodded in response. 

"My name is Kamishiro Shachi, and I can not let you pass." He declared resolutely. Kaneki noticed his name was Kamishiro, the same as Rize. He began to think that this man may be related to Rize. Though if that was the case why would be he with Kanou? Even more questions Kaneki would seek answers to. He did not have time to think about it now however, as Moka took a step in front of him.

"Kaneki, let me take this one." She told him. "If you awakened me then I want to at least see some action while i'm out." 

"Do not take me so lightly." Shachi warned. He attack by turning his side to her and raising his fist at an angle to slam the back of his fist into her. Moka simultaneously dodged it and kicked him in the ribs. There was an audible crack as his ribs snapped. Shachi jumped back to gain some distance and let his ribs heal. "You, you are neither human nor ghoul." He perceived. He could tell not only by her movement, but when she kicked him he could feel that she gave off a certain energy. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. "What are you?" 

"If you must know I am a vampire, and a powerful one at that." Moka declared pridefully. 

"A vampire? If I hadn't felt your attack just then I wouldn't have believed you. But I can see now you're not bluffing." 

"Not at all. In fact we're almost sort of related. Your species branched off of mine. In a sense we are the wolves and you are the dogs." Moka informed him.

"I see. Then let us see which species evolution has decided to be superior." Shachi decided, raising his fists into a fighting stance. 

"You do seem strong, but..." Moka took up a fighting stance as well. "A dog should know its place." Shachi lunged and Moka. Once he was within distance he kicked straight up, aiming for her head. Moka dodged it easily by moving her head back and instead delivering a powerful push kick into him that sent him flying into a wall and through it. Revealing the hidden Rc wall in that room and a cave system under the mansion. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Kurumu and Mizore were taking on the two ghouls in the room prior. Kurumu kept to their air using her wings and would swipe down at them. Though they were able to jump to her height they could not stay there which allowed Kurumu to easily dodge their attacks. Mizore would get in close and swipe at them with her ice claws, as well as creating constructs made of ice to attack from afar or block their kagune attacks. 

At one point they both ended up going for Kuro, the girl in black. Kurumu sailed in from above while Mizore surrounded her with walls of ice, leaving her nowhere to run. Kuro attempted to leap away but could not evade Kurumu in doing so. The succubus landed a direct hit across her which sent the ghoul flying down and landing on her back. "Kuro!" The other girl called out. Shiro ran over to her sister's side. Kuro managed to pick herself up quickly enough and rise to her feet. 

"Nice try but you have the same kagune as Kaneki-kun, and we've seen him fight plenty of times." Kurumu gloated. 

"He's also stronger than either of you." Mizore added. "Neither of you have even half his moves." 

"Don't underestimate us so easily." Kuro warned. 

"The same goes for you!" Kurumu shouted back in protest. "We'e been training as well. Ready Mizore?" 

"Yeah." Mizore nodded. Kurumu swept down from above and picked Mizore up by the waist. Together they sailed into the air above the two ghouls. Kuro and Shiro both got ready for the incoming attack. "Black and White Duet..." The two girls shouted in unison. Before they could attack another person jumped in and slashed at the two ghoul sisters. He ended up missing and they both leapt away from him. Kurumu and Mizore both watched this scene from above. A blonde man in a white suit had suddenly jumped in and attacked their targets. They also noticed the turquoise koukaku coming from his arm. 

"Ah, I didn't mean to help them like that!" Naki shouted in realization. "Shoot, now I ruined my big entrance." 

"Hey, who are you and what do you hink you're doing you idiot!" Kurumu shouted down at him.

"Don't call me an idiot stupid!" Naki shouted back up at her. 

"You're the one who's stupid, stupid!" Kurumu retorted. 

"Be careful you guys, he's with Aogiri!" Banjou shouted. The two girls in the air both looked down at Naki, surprised to hear that Aogiri had joined in the fight. 

"That's right, w'll be the ones taking the mad scientease." Naki declared. 

"It's scientist." A girl's voice corrected him. The others in Kaneki's group all turned to see a short girl wrapped in bandages and covered with a purple hooded cloak standing there. There were also two larger men dressed in white suits behind her. 

"Crap, even Eto is here." Banjou remarked. "You guys see that girl in the bandages? She's always with the higher ups, so she's one of the stronger ones." 

"Oh, they've sent their top brass have they?" Tsukiyama replied. "Then I suppose it's time for us to stop waiting around." Tsukiyama charged in at Naki, unleashing his own koukaku kagune. Naki stumbled back and ended up falling on his ass. He quickly picked himself back up and began swinging at Tsukiyama. The Gourmet easily blocked Naki's wild attack. The two large men in suits advanced towards Tsukiyama. Gin jumped in their way however and blocked their path.  

"I don't think so." Gin declared as he got in their way. His body began to transform. His muscles grew dramatically and he became covered in hair. His shirt suddenly torn into pieces and his face shifted in a more canine like shape. He let out a howl as his transformation was complete. Naki's two henchmen Gagi and Guge both became to back up as they shook from fear. 

"W-werewolf!" Naki shouted in terror. 

"I would focus more on myself if I were you." Tsukiyama suggested before lunging again. He jabbed directly at Naki who just managed to block the attack. Gin went after the two henchmen. He ended up striking one and knocking him back while the otehr stumbled back. Gin was quickly upon the other who began blocking his attacks. Meanwhile Eto evaded the fighting and ran down the hall which Kaneki and Moka had escaped through earlier. 

"She's getting away!" Shiro shouted to her sister. The two gave chase down the hall which Banjou noticed. He knew he couldn't just stand around helplessly anymore. He took off after them, running around the two fights taking place. Mizore managed to get herself free from Kurumu's grip mid air and landed on her feet below. She then turned to look up at her succubus friend. 

"I'm going with Banjou-san. Stay here with the others." Mizore told Kurumu who nodded back. 

"Be careful." Kurumu cautioned her. Mizore nodded back as well before taking off after Banjou to assist him. 

* * *

Shachi was launched back one more by a fierce kick from Moka. He crashed into the rock wall of the cave behind him which caused the rock around him to shatter. Shachi was leaning against the wall behind him badly beaten and bruised. So far he had failed to connect a single attack. Moka was not only faster but her strength surpassed his as well. She had the upper hand in this battle and it was apparent that she did. Shachi managed to compose himself again quickly as Moka strolled towards him. 

"Is that all you've got?" Moka boasted. Shachi grunted in response before rushing in once more. Moka smirked as he rushed in headfirst. She lifted her leg and kicked straight up at his head. This time however, Shachi aimed his blow around her leg and ended up pulling her leg back and striking her in the face. This knocked her off balance and sent her off her feet as she flew back several feet. She crashed into another wall of the cave though she landed on her feet. She managed to steady herself after Shachi's forceful blow. 

"You're attacks are too limited. You stick to using only kicks which only limits yourself. Though your speed and strength are far greater than mine your overconfidence will be your downfall." He lectured her as she stared him down with an irate look. 

"Who do you think you are to tell me how to fight? I am Akashiya Moka, daughter to one of the most powerful vampires ever." She rushed in and delivered a side kick to his stomach so fast he had no time to react. "KNOW" She followed it up with a series of rapid kicks all around his torso, hitting him in the chest, stomach, and shoulders. "YOUR" She then spun around and jumped into the air with her other leg raised high above her head. "PLACE!" Shachi was struck by a downwards axe kick that launched him through layers of rock and into another room below. Moka jumped down the hole she had created into a round laboratory like room. 

There were several metal containers all around the room that seemed to have doors sealing something within each of them. There was also a raised circular platform in the center of the room. Shachi's broken and bloodied body lay face down on the floor not far from where Moka had landed. There was a pool of his blood that was near his body. He then suddenly began to move. He got on his knees and raised himself up with his arms. His managed to stand up after Moka's brutal attack and within seconds was back on his feet. He shook his head back and forth and all his facial injuries were suddenly gone. In fact all of his injures seemed to disappear for that matter. Moka scowled as Shachi's healing abilities negated her entire attack.

Kaneki jumped down the hall in the ceiling and joined them as well. He came upon Moka and Shachi standing off a few feet away from each other, staring their respective opponents down with an intense tension in the air. Kaneki noticed that Shachi did not seem too badly damaged or even hurt. "Are you having problems with him Moka-san?" Kaneki asked. 

"No, i've been winning this fight so far. He just heals so fast that it's getting annoying." Moka replied. Shachi suddenly turned his back to her in the middle of their fight which only angered her more. "Hey, why did you turn your back to your opponent? What are you planning?"

"I would like to call a time out to this." A male voice called out. Kaneki and Moka's attention were both drawn to an older man standing on the edge of the platform above. Kaneki's visible eye widened as he recognized the man. "There are some things I would like to talk to you both about." He informed them. Dr. Kanou now stood before them in the center of that room, looking down below with a smile on his face that hid his inner intentions. Kaneki had finally found him, just as Kanou had finally reunited with his creation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long wait where it takes me over a month to update. School and work has been keeping me busy lately but i'm going to try and update more and this chapter ended up taking me about a week to do. So i'll try to stop with the once a month updates, please just bare with me on this.


	15. Walk your path

"Is that him?" Moka asked sternly as she looked up at the old man in a white lab coat.

"Yeah, that's him." Kaneki answered. "Doctor Kanou." 

"You are both truly amazing." Kanou praised them. "I was watching your fight Akashiya Moka. The power of a vampire is truly amazing. And you, Kaneki Ken. You were once a normal human now you have the strength to take on the strongest of ghouls. Kuro and Shiro are nowhere near the same level as you are. Truly you are my ultimate creation." 

"So then, those girls..." Kaneki began.

"Yes, they are One-Eyed Ghouls just like yourself. Though they are nowhere near as strong as yourself."

"So then you've been recreating Rize's kagune and transplanting it into other humans." Kaneki deduced. 

"Recreating? Not at all, i've been harvesting it." Kanou corrected as he gestured downward. Shachi took a step to the side to reveal a glass plate in the round platform that Kanou was on. Behind it was a girl with her arms bound out and stuck behind the glass. Kaneki recognized her instantly. It was Rize. The one who had started it all. The girl he had went out with on the night the accident happened. The ghoul who's kagune was now a part of him and transformed him forever. Though it seemed she was just as much a victim as he. 

"But why?" Kaneki asked. "Why are you doing this?" Kanou's smiled faded and he stared off with a stern look on his face. 

"Tell me, why do caged birds not fly free?" Kanou responded with a question of his own. "It is because of the birdcage which confines them. The begs the question who made this world's birdcage? Then I realized that this twisted birdcage is holding our world back. I wanted to break this birdcage open and in order to do so I needed the most effective means at my disposal. In other words ghouls. More specifically their One-Eyed counterparts. Not only are they superior to the rest of their kind but they serve to act as a bridge between humans and ghouls. I sacrificed everything for this cause. Yet no matter how much I tried my experiment rate refused to reach above 0%. I experimented endlessly but was ultimately fruitless in my endeavor. This was because of the stomach's Rc cell limit..." 

"Just what are you getting at?" Kaneki interrupted. "Birdcage, bridge between ghouls and humans, blah blah blah. Is that your excuse for what you did to me?" 

"I _am_ a doctor, the fact that I saved your life hasn't changed." Kanou replied politely. Despite his tone Kaneki still balled his fists in anger. 

"You have no idea what kind of life i've had to live since then." Kaneki retorted in anger. "You're not a doctor..." He the looked up at Dr. Kanou, his eyes burning with hate. "You're a fucking psycho." Kanou stared back down at Kaneki with a blank look on his face. 

"Semantics." He replied. "Not that I care what you think. I'm sure the world will view my work as evil and that I will not be able to stay in the shadows for much longer. I am glad I got to see you again before I had to go into hiding. So... Kaneki Ken and Akashiya Moka, I would like to make you both an offer. Will you join Aogiri?" 

"Us join an organization like that? No way?" Kaneki replied. 

"To be honest i'm offended you would actually make such a request." Moka added. "My strength far succeeds any ghoul." 

"That is true, so let me rephase that. Will you come and join me?" Kanou asked once more. Both of them gave him confused looks as he stood there with a smile back on his face. His offer was completely sincere. He was asking them to come and work for him, despite all that he had done. He was truly a mad doctor in every sense of the word. "If you come and join me I will show you both the true face of this world?" 

"What do you mean?" Moka asked. "Just what is this birdcage you're talking about?" 

"If you come and join me I will show you. Once you truly understand the face of this world and the truth behind it you will see. For example, the one behind the reason for the creation of Aogiri is a ghoul named Yoshimura." Kaneki felt a wave of shock go through his body at hearing the manager's name. Why did Kanou know his name? Could what he was saying be true? What involvement did Yoshimura have with Aogiri? Could he have been playing Kaneki from the start? So many uncertainties were running through Kaneki's mind at that moment that the world around him seemed to fade. 

"So what do you say? With my creation and the strength of a vampire we would be unstoppable. So will you join me?" Kanou offered a hand down to them as a gesture. Moka watched Kaneki as he struggled to understand everything and tried to make up his mind. Her next move would depend on his decision. 

"I..." Kaneki began. There was a loud explosion in the ceiling as something came crashing down like a meteor and smashed into Rize's case. Everyone in the room looked with stunned expressions as some unknown object suddenly burst into the room. 

"What?s Going on? The donor..." Kanou shouted in desperation as he looked downward. A man dressed in a black coat with a mask resembling a large black beak and two black eyes emerged from the case carrying Rize on her back. 

"Yomo-san?" Kaneki recognized him.

"On that day, you said to me 'I can walk my own path alone...'" Yomo suddenly spoke up. He then removed his mask to reveal his face to Kaneki. "So walk your path. Do not stray." He then jumped out and landed on a walkway high above them carrying Rize. There was an exit on that walkway right next to where he landed. "Be careful Ken, the white doves are coming." With that he left through that exit with Rize. Everyone in the room was still staring up that direction, surprised with how fast everything had happened. 

"What a shame." Kanou remarked. "Now i'll need to find a new donor." 

"No!" Kaneki interjected. "Kanou, I will never join you. I won't let you turn any more people into ghouls for your own gain." Kaneki lunged for the doctor, launching himself using his kagune. "You're done for!" He sailed through the air like a missile straight for Kanou. Shachi jumped into the air to intercept him. He delivered a swift downward elbow strike that launched Kaneki straight towards the ground. He crashed down below while Shachi landed on the platform next to Kanou. 

"If the doves have arrived then a retreat would be best." Shachi suggested. 

"You're right. Let us leave this place." Kanou agreed. Shachi picked up Kanou by the back of his collar before jumping high into the air and back towards another exit raise high above them. As they retreated Kanou pulled a remote from his sleeve and pressed a button on it. All the doors around the room simultaneously released. They all swung open to reveal creatures inside that no longer looked human. They were Kanou's failed experiments that he kept locked up in his lab. Now all of the mindless and hungry creatures began to surround Kaneki and Moka. "I leave you this as a parting gift. I do hope we can meet again someday." Kanou shouted down to them right before Shachi landed on the secondary exit. He let Kanou back down on his own feet and the two of them made their way out of the laboratory. 

"Damn, he's getting away!" Kaneki cursed. 

"Focus, we can't do anything about that now." Moka told him. "We're surrounded, we have to deal with these things first." Kaneki scowled as he realized the predicament they were in. A large number of these hideous creatures began to surround them. Kaneki and Moka both recognized them for what they were. Failed experiments, even more victims of Kanou's research that suffered an even worse fate. They were now mindless creatures that had only one goal in mind, eat. They could be considered little more than zombies.

"Hungry..." One of the moaned. 

"The pain, pain." Another complained. They began to move in closer now, starting to fully surround the other two. 

"I count about fifty of them. That's twenty-five each." Kaneki relayed to Moka as they prepared for battle. 

"That's too boring. How about we just take on as many we can and see who gets more?" Moka suggested. 

"Fine by me." Kaneki answered. He let out his kagune and his eye transformed. He swept through a group of the monsters in from of him while Moka rushed in and jumped into the air, her legs level with their heads. She sent out a bi-directional kick that knocked two out and sent them toppling into others. 

* * *

Elsewhere in the facility, Kuro and Shiro had both run into the room where Shachi had dwelt earlier. They had chased after Eto which led them into the next room. They both looked around to try and find the small girl. It was only once her voice called out to them did they find her sitting atop a large vertical container against the right wall of the room. 

"Oh they're doing so well." Her taunting voice rung out as she was perched on that metal tank. "The baby is using it so well. That kagune. In exchange for eternal nausea they attained a life where they could love yet be loved at the same time. However no matter how much you try to fill that empty hole, the fact that it is empty will never change."

"Why..." Shiro and Kuro both lunged at the Aogiri member. "Are you saying such nonsense?" Both of their kagunes struck down where Eto was sitting. Though by the time they reached her she had vanished. They two girls stared at the spot rather confused with Eto's speed. 

"On that day they lost both of their parents. Surely it must have been quite sad." Eto's voice rung out again. Kuro and Shiro both looked down to see Eto stand where they just were, looking up at them now. "But you know Kanou isn't your papa." Their was a brief pause before they both responded together. 

"Papa is papa."

"No." Eto rejected their statement. "Even if he buys your parent's home you can never go back. A substitute can only ever be a substitute. The only reason you're able to look away from the truth is because this ostentatious world is because it's better than the other." 

"Shut your mouth!" Kuro shouted in anger as they both lunged down at Eto. Once more they missed and ended up hitting only air. They both looked back to the top of the container to see Eto standing up there once more. They both wondered how she could possibly be so fast. 

"I think to most surefire way to be loved by someone is to look past their pain and gently come closer to them. In reality all that he's done is take advantage of your weakness. He is merely digging out the pain from your past and using it to control you. So Nashiro-chan, Kurona-chan..." They both felt a bit shocked. 

"How did you know our names?" Shiro asked. 

"The only people who really loved you were your mama and papa." Eto simply ignored their question. That means no one loves you in this world, and since your bodies have become like that you can no longer go back to the human world. What does it feel like to become a ghoul? How many people have you two killed?" 

"Shut up!" The both shouted, falling to their knees and covering their ears. 

"As former humans what's your opinion on eating people?" Eto continued. 

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" They both shouted over and over in order to drown out Eto's words. Her sharp perceptive and skillful tongue tore them apart mentally. They could no longer bare to face the cold reality Eto had unveiled. They now both fell from mental collapse and tried to drown out everything the clever Aogiri member was telling them. AS they both stayed like that Banjou entered the room. He saw the two girls on their knees for some reason. 

"Kanou's underlings?" He realized aloud. He wondered if they were taken down and if so by who. He failed to notice that Eto was now behind him. 

"You dropped these." She told him. Banjou quickly spun around to see her stand there with her hands out. He saw several white objects in her hands that seemed to be covered in blood. "Bones. They're yours." Banjou was suddenly hit with an intense pain. He coughed up blood and looked down to see a large hole in his torso. There was a massive opening in his stomach that revealed his organs and bones inside. The pain immobilized him and he could only think on why it happened.

It was at that moment Mizore caught up and beheld the sight of Banjou with a massive tear in his abdomen and Eto holding out his bones. Eto turned back to see Mizore standing behind her. The Yuki-onna's eyes were wide with shock and horror at the scene in front of her. "Banjou-san!" She cried out. Mizore raised her arm and sent out and icy blast in Eto's direction. A large gust of ice and air hit the spot before dissipating and revealing Eto was no longer there. Banjou fell to his knees and Mizore rushed to his side, not even thinking about where Eto had gone. She knelt beside him as he lay there in a massive amount of pain. "Hang in there Banjou-san." 

"You're on of the prototype's friends aren't you?" Eto asked. Mizore turned to see the girl now behind her. "Kaneki Ken was his name right? Then you must be a youaki." Mizore created ice claws around one hand and slashed backwards towards Eto. Again the ghoul disappeared with blinding speed that shocked Mizore. "Tell me, what's your opinion on humans?" Eto asked now a few feet on the other side of Banjou. Mizore turned to her once more. "They've forced your kind into hiding, living in the shadows just as we have. For if they ever find out of your existence you will suffer the same fate as us. They will hunt you down to extinction just like they have with countless other species. So what do youkai think of humans? Does it bother you that Kaneki was a human?" 

Eto turned her head to look back as Kuro and Shiro were both suddenly on their feet, rushing in at her. Eto vanished before they could strike her again, this time reappearing at the entrance to the cave. "It seems as if I won't be getting any answers of my own today. Oh well." She then ran out the cave and retreated. 

"Get back here!" Kurou shouted as she and her sister gave chase. Mizore was left there with the heavily injured Banjou. She looked down to see the hole in his torso had closed up by now though he was still in immense pain as his insides were still attempting to heal themselves. Mizore managed to lift him up, carrying him by giving him a supportive shoulder. 

"Come on Banjou-san, try to hang in there." Mizore encouraged him. "We'll get you out of this place as soon as possible." She lead Banjou down into the same cave, hoping to find an exit out of the mansion's basement as soon as possible and get Banjou to safety. 

* * *

Back in the first room, Kaneki's allies were still dealing with the three Aogiri members. Tsukiyama was dueling the dim-witted Naki while Gin and Kurumu dealt with the two brute Gagi and Guge. Gin would fend them off on the ground, using his superior strength and speed to his advantage. Kurumu kept to the air, using her ability of flight to swoop down and get in quick attacks that the two sluggish henchmen had trouble defending against. Though Naki was untrained and his strikes lacked any tact he was still strong enough to give Tsukiyama quite the challenge. They were both S-ranked ghouls so they were around the same level despite differences in their training and skill. 

Gin blocked a clumsy attack from Guge and shoved him back several feet. He was about to go in for the kill but stopped when he picked up a scent. He sniffed the air to confirm what he had just picked up. "Hey, you guys. There are humans coming this way." He relayed to his comrades. 

"Humans? Must be ghoul investigators." Tsukiyama deduced. "You two should get out of here. It'd be bad if you were seen." 

"But what about you?" Kurumu asked. 

"Don't worry about me mademoiselle. I can handle myself." Tsukiyama reassured her. "Just get yourselves out of here before it's too late." 

"He's right, let's move Kurumu-chan." Gin agreed. He took off on all fours down the hallway further into the basement. Kurumu decided there was no time to worry and flew after him. 

"Hey, where are they going?" Naki asked. He then turned his attention to the other hall as he heard footsteps. Four ghoul investigators had joined them. Two men, a woman, and a teenage boy. Each carrying a suitcase with them, their quinques. 

"Looks like we're not alone." Shinohara, the larger bulkier man noted. He had very short black hair and a small beard on his chin. 

"Hey, you guys just missed the werewolf. He went that way!" Naki shouted as he pointed down the hall on the opposite end. 

"Werewolf?" Amon sounded confused. He was the other adult male, taller than Shinohara and slimmer. He had short black hair and his eyebrows were curved at the ends. 

"It's probably just a distraction." Shinohara replied. "Either that or he's mad."

"No, really! There was a werewolf here and he went that way! Tell 'em!" Naki continued, asking Tsukiyama to back up his claims. 

"I'm afraid he's right." Tsukiyama replied. 

"Ha!" Naki gloated. 

"This man is mad."

"Hey!" Naki shouted back. "I'll get you for making me look like a fool you stupid Americano!" Naki rushed in and swung at Tsukiyama with great force. Tsukiyama parried his downward strike and stepped to the side.

"I'm not American, i'm French." He corrected, sounding rather irritated. "Besides, I don't believe we should be fighting right now. I have a proposal if you will. Could we perhaps forge an alliance for this instance?"

"For gem lions?" Naki asked. 

"The level of your ignorance astounds me. I mean let's fight the doves together." Tsukiyama clarified. 

"Oh, that way we wouldn't have to fight as many!" Naki just then realized. "Alright then, let's do this lions!" 

"Very well. I will trust you have my back." Tsukiyama replied. Naki though to himself though he found Tsukiyama strange he might not be such a bad guy after all. The two ghouls turned to face the four investigators in the room. 

"The one in the suit in Naki, a dangerous S-class ghoul that is among those who escaped from Cochlea." The women informed the others. She was Mado Akira, Amon's partner. She had blonde hair in a bob cut and was a fairly built woman. 

"And the other is The Gourmet." Shinohara added. "I recognize him from one of the raids." He unfastened his suitcase and released his quinque, Demon Yamada. It was a large bikaku type that took the shape of an oversized butcher knife. "Akira, Amon, i'll take these two on here. You push ahead." 

"Are you sure about that?" Amon asked. 

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Juuzou, you go with them too." Shinohara ordered his partner and apprentice Juuzou. Juuzou was the teenage boy who had white hair, pale skin, and stitches all down his arm in a spiral pattern. 

"Oh, are you sure you wanna take them all on alone?" Juuzou asked. 

"Yeah. I'm more than capable of handling myself." Shinohara confirmed his decision. "Besides, we don't know what might lay ahead. To be safe I want you to go ahead with them in case there's something more dangerous farther ahead." Juuzou smiled and nodded. Shinohara stood with his quinque at the ready while Naki and Tsukiyama stood a couple meters away. Shinohara made the first move, rushing in and swinging horizontally at both of them. The two ghouls dodged to either side. "Now!" Just as he ordered that the other three took off around the battle and head on ahead. 

Naki rushed in to counter attack and Shinohara blocked his strike. Tsukiyama went for his back while he was dealing with Naki and forced him back. Gagi and Guge managed to move in to assist even though they were badly beaten. Shinohara noticed he was even more outnumbered now and planned his next move. 

"Are you sure taking us on alone was the best plan of action?" Tsukiyama asked. 

"Don't you worry about me. I have more than on quinque with me." Shinohara then pressed something under his shirt. Black plates of what looked to be a metal similar to his quinque began to form around his torso, covering him and leaving on his head exposed above his chin. Naki stared in shock at seeing this new armor that the investigator suddenly pulled out. Shinohara stood with his blade at the ready once more, now covered in his new armor.

"Oh, it's a quinque made from a kakuja." Tsukiyama noticed. "How very interesting." He stood at the ready as well, waiting for the battle to pick up now that Shinohara had activated a brand new weapon never seen before. The Special Class investigator rushed in even faster than before, forcing the Gourmet to block his attack which now had more power as well. Meanwhile everyone up ahead moved forward and in different directions while Kaneki and Moka continued to fight Kanou's failed creations in the lab. Their long night was not over yet, the battle had only just begun. 


	16. The outcomes

Gin and Kurumu were now in the cave that led the where Kaneki and Moka were. They were still going at top speed in order to avoid any chance of being seen. That would be the worst thing that could happen, revealing their existences to humans. Though they did not change back in case they would have to fight. They did not know what was up ahead, only that the others were all up ahead, save for Tsukiyama who was still fighting the doves farther back. 

They ended up coming upon Mizore, who was still carrying Banjou over her shoulder. "Mizore-chan!" Kurumu called out. Mizore stopped and turned to see a werewolf and a succubus headed her direction. She waited for her friends who joined her. "What happened to Banjou-san?" Kurumu asked, now landing on her feet for the first time in awhile. 

"He was attacked by the girl in the bandages. She really injured him." Mizore answered her. "I've been carrying him like this since the last room." 

"Where are the others?" Gin asked in his werewolf voice. 

"The girl and the other two ghouls both ran off awhile ago. I haven't seen Kaneki-kun or Moka-chan yet." Mizore replied. Gin's body suddenly began to change. His bones and muscles altered as he reverted back to his human form. In a matter of seconds he reverted back to looking like a normal human teenager. 

"If that's the case then we should try to regroup with Kaneki and Moka." Gin suggested. 

"Would you put on a shirt you damn pervert?!" Kurumu yelled, reminding Gin that he was now in only a pair of khaki shorts. 

"I can't help something like that." He responded in a nonchalant manner, ignoring her orders. He walked Banjou's other side and supported him as well. "I can take him from here." He offered. Mizore let Banjou's weight off her own shoulder and let Gin burden their injured ally. "Let's move."

"What if we run into the other ghouls up ahead?" Mizore asked. "We can't well carry Banjou and fight. Especially the Aogiri one." 

"If you remember there was a branch path earlier in the cave." Gin reminded her. "Hopefully they went that way. If not we'll deal with that if it comes to it." He then began to move further on ahead. Kurumu and Mizore both followed behind as he carried the injured and incapacitated Banjou over his shoulder. They pressed on forward, hoping to run into their allies before anything else.

* * *

In another part of the basement, Kuro and Shiro had entered a room that the cave had led directly into. They had lost track of Eto at this point and had stopped once they realized their target had gotten away. They panted as they took a rest from giving their all into chasing down the Aogiri member. Both girls were beating themselves up mentally for allowing her to escape after saying the things she did. She had insulted both them and their papa. A crime that was unforgivable. 

Yet Eto's speed was far superior than their's and she proved to be more than capable of out maneuvering them. Despite the fact that this was their home and they knew every twist and turn there was. Losing her was not something Kuro or Shiro would forget easily, yet there was nothing more that could be done. She could very well have retreated by now and be off the property with the speeds she was capable of. They simply had to take a moment to catch their breaths before returning to the rendezvous point to meet their papa. 

"Looks like she got away." Kuro commented. "Damn her." 

"We should head back to papa." Shiro proposed. 

"Oh, I don't think I can let you do that." A male's voice called out from the cave. Kuro and Shiro both looked to see a familiar face. Suzuya Juuzou strolled into the room with a smile as he found his next two targets. Two girl's he recognized just as easily, despite how many years it had been. "Kurona, Nashiro, it's been a long time.

"Rei?" Both girls asked in unison. 

"I haven't gone by that in a long time. It's Juuzou now." He corrected them. "Second Class Investigator Suzuya Juuzou. By the way, what's up with your eyes by the way? Have you turned into ghouls yourselves?" 

"We have no interest in humanity or this twisted world anymore." Shiro responded. 

"Interesting. Well if i'm an investigator and you two are ghouls." He opened his suitcase, revealing a long koukaku type quinque in the shape of a large scythe. The blade itself was a crimson red color. "Then it shouldn't be a problem if I kill you." Both girl's narrowed their eyes at him and let out their kagunes. They both took off for him together, Shiro lagging just a little behind in order to get a second attack in quickly. Kuro attacked first, swinging her kagune at Juuzou. He ducked under the attack and dodged it. Shiro came in swinging horizontally the opposite direction. Juuzou this time jumped over her attack as she sailed past. Kuro cme in behind him for a second attack. She jabbed at him with her two right kagune appendages. Juuzou stepped to the side and spun as he dodged. 

"Ha ha, this is fun. Almost like a class reunion." Juuzou cheered as he enjoyed the heat of battle. This only irritated Kuro and Shiro. The did not like seeing Juuzou enjoying himself in a serious fight. He always had a reputation as an empty child. He had no emotions, no sadness nor sympathy. He only showed joy during a fight and ignored the pain of others. It was just like him to be like this in a fight. 

"Quit playing around!" Kuro shouted at him. She rushed in for another attack.

"Alright then, if you insist." He swung upwards with his scythe. Kuro managed to step to the side to dodge it. Shiro went in on Juuzou's left for another attack. He swung horizontally at her. She responded by blocked with her kagune then sending a roundhouse kick aimed at his head. Juuzou preformed a cartwheel in the same direction to avoid the kick. One he landed back on his feet he swept at her ankles. She jumped high above his head. 

"Fool, didn't you learn anything at the academy?" Shiro chastised him. "A rinkaku beats a koukaku. Just like rock, paper, scissors."

"You're right." Juuzou replied. The bottom part of his scythe suddenly began to change. It turned a shade of red to match the blade and was no longer straight but limped down In a flash it snapped up into the air and struck Shiro in the stomach. "Guess I should use my bikaku then." Shiro was knocked back across the room and was just able to land on her feet on the wall. Otherwise she would have slammed into it. She jumped off and joined her sister down below. Shiro clutched her stomach in the sop where she was struck. 

Both sisters now saw the true form of his quinque. It was a chimera quinque, two different types combined into one. The koukaku part was a scythe blade that made the weapon appear as one large quinque. However it's true form has a bikaku hidden in the staff. Once activated the blade shrunk as power was split to the bikaku. It now took the shape of a kusarigama, a chain scythe. Juuzou spun the bikaku part around in circles as he held the scythe in his other hand. 

"Neat huh?" He asked. "This is the true form of my quinque, the Oniwaban."

"You have one trick that only works once. We won't fall for that again." Kuro told him. The two twins lunged in for a joint attack. Juuzou whipped the bikaku part back before lashing it back towards them. He swung low and got Kuro at the leg. The bikaku wrapped around her ankle and took hold of her. Juuzou tossed Kuro into her sister mid air and sent the two of them crashing into a wall. They both hit the ground hard and were left laying against one another. 

"Come on, is that all you got?" Juuzou asked as she approached them. Both sisters shot up in an instant. Shiro rushed in at him while Kuro jumped into the air and sailed at him. Shiro sent her four rinkaku up and disarmed Juuzou, sending his Oniwaban up into the air. Kuro went in for the kill from the air, readying her kagune to strike.

"Please don't think bad of us." Kuro asked before killing him.

"Same here." Juuzou replied with a smile. He suddenly tossed a knife at her that stabbed into her left kakugan eye. "Don't think badly of me." Kuro was forced to land a meter away and pull the blade out of her eye. 

"Shiro!" Her sister yelled in concern.

"Don't worry, it'll heal!" Kuro reminded her sister.

"Heal?" Juuzou responded. "Then i'll just have to cut you so bad it won't heal up." He pulled out two more knives and revealed a vast array of the same knives under his over shirt. They all looked the same, switchblades with double edged blades. These were Juuzou's other quinque. Scorpion 1/56, a series of 56 bikaku knives that he was far more skilled with. He held one between each set of of fingers on his right hand and threw them all at Kuro. Each blade hit it's mark cutting into her chest and right shoulder. Juuzou pulled out another set with his left hand and tossed them into her left arm and shoulder. As she was injured her jumped into the air and above her. He tossed a third barrage with boh hands into her back that scattered everywhere.

Not a single one of his blades missed. Juuzou was highly skilled with them, making the small knives even more lethal than his chimera quinque. Kuro was left a bloody mess as she was left on her knees, unable to stand from Juuzou's attack. The blades were still cutting into her too, causing her pain as she was left helpless. She was now at Juuzou's mercy, or in this case lack thereof. 

"I've killed plenty of ghouls already, so I know what I need to hit." He told her as he pulled out a single Scorpion knife. "Next i'll destroy your important thing." 

"Rei!" Shiro shouted as she rushed in behind him. Juuzou looked back to see Shiro rushing in full force. He grinned as she left herself wide open. For Shiro did not notice that Juuzou's first quinque was lying right at his feet. He kicked it up and used the scythe blade to cut right through her. He cut through her kakuhou, slicing through her midsection and nearly cutting her in two. 

"I got Shiro's thing!" He shouted in delight as he hit the right spot. Shiro crashed to the ground below, helpess and unable to even more. Kuro watched in horror at Juuzou mortally wounded her twin sister. The mad investigator spun the bikaku part again as he made his way to finish off the already defeated Shiro. "Now i'm going to cut you up and make you into a quinque!" 

"Nashiro!" Kuro shouted. She rushed in behind Juuzou and swept up her sister before he could get another strike in. Shiro's breathing was heavy and rapid. She was losing a large amount of blood and the injury to her kakuhou rendered her healing factor null. She was badly injured and close to dying. Meanwhile Juuzou was still in the room with full intent to kill them both. He spun the bikaku above his head in circles. Kuro had to make a decision. She could continue to fight, though she would surely be killed. She had to retreat with Shiro and get help. Surely their papa would help her. 

Juuzou swung the bikaku chain straight down to finish both of them off. Kuro moved before it could connect and took off in the opposite direction. She left the room carrying Shiro and headed for where she was to meet Kanou. Juuzou watched as she retreated with his injured sister in tow. He pulled the bikaku part of his quinque off the ground and stared towards the direction she had retreated towards. "Aw, they got away." Juuzou commented to himself. "Oh well, Nashiro won't live much longer with that injury."

* * *

Back at the first room, Shinohara was still caught up with battling the two ghouls. Gagi and Guge were far to slow and not much help in a battle. Tsukiyama and Naki were handling most of the offense. Though it was a momentary alliance they were working rather well together. The two of them had koukaku type kagunes while Shinohara's quinque was a bikaku type. Neither held and advantage of the other so it was purely a matter of skill. Shinohara proved capable of holding up to their attacks, especially with his kakuja armor Arata. It boosted his speed and strength enough to keep up with two S-class ghouls. 

Naki rushed in and attacked overhead, jumping off the ground a short distance as he did so. Shinohara blocked the wide swing of his clumsy attack with his quinque. Tsukiyama came in behind him and slashed at his unguarded back. Arata absorbed most of the damage though Shinohara did feel pain. He pushed Naki back and swung with his Demon Yamada. Tsukiyama backed up and just managed to avoid the attack. Shinohara rushed him next, taking the offense this time. He drove his large blade straight for Tsukiyama's chest. He blocked the attack and parried it out of the way. Shinohara follwed up with a punch that nailed the Gourmet square in the face. Tsukiyama was sent back a few feet from the force of the attack. 

Gagi and Guge both finally got close enough to each grab one of Shinohara's arms. They both turned him around the opposite direction towards Naki.

"Good, now hold him there boys!" Naki ordered. He charged and aimed his kagune blade straight for Shinohara's exposed head. He had to escape fast. He raised his legs up and curled up so that he kicked both ghouls in their faces. Gagi and Guge both let go of Shinohara and fell back. While airborne, Shinohara managed to get his legs around Naki's head and held himself upright on his shoulders. Naki was caught by surprise and looked up to see the investigator slam the but of his weapon onto Naki's head. Naki was knocked down by this, falling back as Shinohara landed on his feet near his head. "Ow! That really hurt!" Naki shouted. 

Shinohara quickly backed away in case of a counter attack. Naki managed to quickly get back to his feet and ready his weapon. Tsukiyama joined his side and prepared for the next attack. Shinohara was outnumbered and could not keep up for long. Furthermore, his comrades were up ahead and he did not know what they would find. He decided that he needed to regroup quickly as he would not make it in this fight for much longer. He had to pull out his secret weapon. He tossed a canister of gas towards the two ghouls, which landed at their feet before activating. A thin cloud of grey gas engulfed them and they took a step back to see what it would do. Much to their surprise, their kagunes began to shrink back into their bodies. 

"What is this stuff?" Naki asked in shock. "What happened to my kagune?"

"CRC gas." Shinohara replied. "Suppresses Rc cells, rendering ghouls weakened." He further proved this point by rushing in and striking Naki across the chest. Naki fell back and clenched his chest in pain as his healing ability was no longer working due to the gas. Tsukiyama kicked Shinohara in the gut and caused him to fall back. Shinohara rolled with the force and landed on his knees with his quinque at the ready. 

"Monsieur, I believe it would be best for us to fall back." Tsukiyama suggested. "We can not continue to fight in this state." 

"Gagi, Guge, carry me!" Naki shouted. The two large oafs both picked him up, holding him on their shoulders before retreating with him. Tsukiyama followed right behind as their group retreated from battle. Shinohara lowered his weapon and allowed them to escape, deciding not to risk his life by chasing after them. He instead pushed on ahead to aid his fellow investigators. 

* * *

Kaneki was out of breath. He panted heavily and bent over, holding himself up by placing his hands on his knees. Moka stood by in a much more calm state, clearly having spent nowhere near as much energy as he did. All of the failed experiments were defeated. None of them were left alive. They were either torn to pieces by Kaneki's kagune or died from massive head trauma from Moka's powerful kicks. Together the two of them were more than capable of defeating the force of mindless monstrosities. 

However Kaneki pushed himself as hard as he could in order to test his abilities. He was now feeling completely drained after fighting as hard as he did. He had went along with Moka's idea of making a competition of defeating the failed experiments. This was the reason he fought as hard as he did. Even still he failed to take down as many as she did. Though he did not let her know, he was actually using this opportunity to measure his strength compared to her. Despite how hard he had trained he was still nowhere near her level. This made that apparent. 

"Well I counted 30 of them that I took down so I think I wind." Moka commented with a grin. 

"Yeah, you definitely beat me Moka-san." Kaneki agreed, now starting to regain his strength and breath. 

"Over here!" They both heard Gin's voice call out. They looked to see him carrying someone over his shoulder, as well as without a shirt. He was also joined by Kurumu and Mizore on either side. "Banjou-san is injured you guys!" Gin let them know as they made their way towards their friends. 

"What happened to Banjou-san?" Kaneki asked.

"Aogiri showed up and one of them ribbed out his ribs." Mizore replied. 

"Yeah, and the ghoul investigators are here as well." Gin added. "We should get out of here."

"What happened to your shirt Ginei?" Moka asked sternly. 

"See something you like?" He asked with a sly grin. Moka's expression of irritation was enough to instill fear into Gin. His grin faded and he now looked terrified. "I-it was a joke." He quickly followed it up to save his own hide. 

"But we really should get out of here!" Yukari added. Everyone looked down at the young with. 

"Yukari? Where have you been?" Kurumu asked. 

"While you were all caught up in fighting I left to go search for a computer and see if I could get my hands on any files." Yukari replied. "I did find a computer, but unfortunately it seems that Kanou destroyed all his files." She added with a disheartened sigh. 

"Well that was still a good idea you had Yukari-chan." Kaneki complimented. "But if the doves are here then we really should get moving. We can get out through there." He pointed up towards where Yomo hand left earlier. Gin's body suddenly began to transform again. He changed back into his werewolf form before jumping up to the exit above, still carrying Banjou. Kurumu picked up Mizore and Yukari and flew up with both of them. She carried them up above and to the exit as well. Kaneki and Moka were left in the lab below. Kaneki reached into his pocket and pulled out Moka's rosary. 

"Here, you should put this on." Kaneki suggested. Moka took the small metal cross from his hands. She placed it back on the choker around her neck and the rosary activated. Moka's hair turned pink as she changed back into her outer personality. She fainted from the sudden shift in power and Kaneki caught her before she could hit the ground. He picked her up and carried her bridal style. He noticed that her sleeping face was very cute. 

First Class Investigator Amon and Rank 1 Investigator Mado now stepped into the laboratory. They immediately noticed all the bodies scattered around the laboratory floor. Corpses of strange creatures that no longer looked human. It was a horrific sight and one that perplexed them as they looked around the room. "Amon." Mado called to her superior. Amon looked over to see her staring at something. Several meters away was a teenage boy standing there carrying a girl with long pink hair. He was dressed in a black bodysuit and seemed to be wearing a black mask. He turned his head back enough so that he could see the two investigators in the room. 

Amon remembered this ghoul as soon as he saw the mask. It was Eyepatch, the ghoul that had sparred him in a fight several months earlier. Kaneki stared at them silently, not making a move. He had no reason to fight, and if he did it would put Moka in danger. He turned away from them and launched himself up into the air, away from the two investigators. 

"Wait!" Amon cried out. It was no use. Kaneki jumped up to the same exit his friends had used, still carrying the unconscious Moka in his arms. He landed gently and walked off down the high above exit while the two investigators watched below, unable to do anything else. The ledge was too high for them to reach on their own strength. They simply watched as a wanted ghoul made his escape with an unknown woman. Amon wondered why he was there and if he was fighting as well. His appearance only raised more questions for the CCG investigators as their own raid turned out to be fruitless.

* * *

Kaneki carried Moka through the elevated escape tunnel and towards the outside world. The tunnel led to a a small clearing outside near a small rocky cliff. The others were already outside waiting on them. Banjou was sitting down on his own now as he was finally starting to heal enough to walk. He rubbed the sore spot on his stomach as he sat there. 

"Are you alright Banjou-san?" Kaneki asked. 

"Yeah, I think i'm alright now." He replied. "I never imagined she would have been that brutal."

"Hey, at least you're alive." Gin reminded him with a pat on the back. Moka began to stir in Kaneki's arms. He looked down to see her eyes start to open as she began to awake. she stared up at him with her emerald green eyes. 

"Kaneki-kun?" She asked drowsily. 

"Hello Moka-chan." Kaneki greeted her wakening with a smile, which though it could not be seen through his mask Moka knew. "Are you alright to stand?" She nodded and and Kaneki let her back down on her feet. 

"I want Kaneki to hold me next!" Kurumu shouted with delight as she clung onto his arm. She let go when a large metal pot came crashing down on her head and sent her to the ground.

"You're too noisy you top heavy milk cow!" Yukari chastised her. "Besides you can fly, so Kaneki-kun doesn't need to carry you anywhere!" Kaneki himself remained silent during their engagement. He actually grinned, finding their quarrel a bit comical if nothing else. 

"So did you find him?" Mizore asked as she sat up against a tree much like Banjou. 

"Yeah, we did." Kaneki began. "However he didn't give us many answers. Most of it was vague and didn't explain much. All we know is he believes this world is in some kind of 'birdcage' as he called it, and he's using one-eyed ghouls to break out of it." 

"A birdcage?" Gin asked, just as confused as the rest of them were. 

"I have no clue what he meant by that." Kaneki responded. "He really didn't explain much of anything. Though I do know he won't be making any more half-ghouls for awhile." 

"Why's that?"

"Because he doesn't have someone to harvest from anymore." Kaneki explained. "Banjou-san." Banjou looked up to Kaneki after hearing his name. "When we were down in Kanou's lab, we found Rize-san. She's alive." Banjou's eyes widened as he heard this news. Shocked by the revelation after spending months thinking that Rize was dead. 

"Are... are you serious?" Banjou asked, still in complete astonishment. 

"Yes." Kaneki nodded. "A friend of mine came in and took her away from Kanou. I have no clue where she is now but she's alive." Banjou lowered his head and kept and expression of amazement. After all his searching, even though he though it was for nothing, he had finally found her. Rize was alive and he could now confirm that. This was wonderful news for him. He was still stunned from it though, as he had spent months subconsciously believing her dead. 

"There you are monsieur." They heard Tsukiyama's voice as he approached them. "I thought you would have escaped by now." 

"Tsukiyama, it's good to see you're alright." Kaneki greeted him.

"I did have a bit of trouble with a dove but I managed to evade him." Tsukiyama responded. "Though I am glad you have concern for my safety." 

"I have a reason for that." Kaneki explained. "We still have five more days left of break. Tsukiyama, I want you to help me train until then." 

"It would be my honor." Tsukiyama agreed with a bow.

"Are you sure Kaneki-kun?" Moka asked "I'm willing to help you train with my other self."

"Don't worry about it Moka-chan." He reassured her. "Besides, the inner you is still way too strong for me." 

"Don't worry mademoiselle, I will take good care of monsieur Kaneki for you." Tsukiyama attempted to reassure her as well. Though Moka did not trust him yet as she knew full well of his past intentions with Kaneki. "Until then we should leave this place. The doves are still around and it would be unfortunate to be seen."

"Right, let's head back for tonight." Kaneki agreed. The group of them headed off into the woods to evade being seen and headed back for the city of Tokyo. Though they were unsatisfied with the answers they got there was nothing more that could be done. They had stopped Kanou for now and they had less than a week before the Newspaper Club would be returning to Youaki Academy. For now Kaneki would simply train to get stronger, and he knew just how to make full use of Tsukiyama to do so.

* * *

Elsewhere on the grounds, Shachi escorted Kanou through a separate wooded area. They headed for a nearby road where they were to be picked up by Aogiri. The area was silent save for their own footsteps. Shachi led Kanou as they forged a path through the woods towards the rendezvous point. "It's a shame we lost the donor." Kanou spoke up. "I suppose we'll just have to find another." Shachi remained quiet and did not respond. 

"Papa!" Kurou cried out from behind. The two men stopped and looked back to see Kuro running towards them at full speed. She had a frantic expression on her face and she was carrying Shiro in her arms. As soon as she reached Kanou she began begging for help. "Papa, Nashiro is hurt. Please save her." Kuro pleaded. Kanou looked down and examined the injured Shiro with a frown. 

"What a shame." He remarked. "I'm sorry but her kakuhou is too badly damaged. She's irrecoverable." The news hit Kuro like a freight train. Kanou, who she believed to be the one person capable of saving her sister could do nothing. Kuro could only hold her dying sister in her arms. She fell to her knees at this news with her eyes wide. 

"No, please say it isn't true." Kuro pleaded, trying to turn away from the truth just as Eto had pointed out before. 

"There's nothing more we can do for your sister." Kanou reaffirmed his statement. "Leave her, we have much work to be done." Kuro looked down at Shiro who at this point was growing weak. Her breathing slowed and she was barely hanging on to life. Kuro couldn't bare this news. Her twin sister who had been with her all her life was going to die. There was nothing that could be done about that. Kuro held onto her sister tightly, embracing her through the pain. "Kuro, what are you doing?" Kanou asked.

"I... I can't leave her." Kuro manged to say as tears began to roll from eyes down her cheeks. 

"So you won't leave her, even though she's going to die?" Kanou repeated. 

"I can't. She's my sister." Kuro choked out a reply. She held onto her dear sister, crying and wishing desperately to save her. Why had it come to this? Why had she endured so much pain? First she had lost her parents years ago, now Shiro too was going to die right before her eyes. It wasn't fair. Had she done something to deserve this? All she had wanted was to love and be loved by her family. Now the very last bit of that was slipping away.

_Bang_

A loud gunshot rung throughout the forest. Kuro felt her body go limp and everything quickly went black. She fell next to the body of her sister, lying just as motionless. Kanou held a gun in his hand, a single Colt .45 pistol that was filled with Q bullets. The smoke from the gun quickly dissipated into the chilled night air just like the lives of Kuro and Shiro. He lowered the pistol to his side and stared down at his two creations in disappointment. To him they were no better than any of the countless failed experiments. 

"That was cold of you." A girl's voice told him. He looked back towards the path ahead to see not only the curve in the road where he was to go but Eto standing there behind Shachi. "She really thought of you as her papa and you killed her just like that." 

"She failed and was of no further use to me." Kanou explained, placing the hand gun back in his lab coat. "We have no use for failures or anything sub-par with what we're aiming for." Eto chuckled at his response. 

"I couldn't agree more." She said with a giggle. She led the other two towards the road, right as a long black Lincoln pulled up alongside the street. "Shall we go Kanou?" Eto asked. Kanou nodded and she opened the door for him. He took a seat in the back with Shachi and Eto. There were two other men in car up front. One was a driver dressed as any normal chauffeur might be. The other was a tall man with short white hair and red eyes, dressed in a long white coat and a red mask. "Hello Tatara." Eto greeted him. 

"How was the mission?" Tatara asked coldly. 

"One eye-kun and his friends were there but they posed no threat. It seems he refuses to become our egg and join us. His friend from Anteiku even took the donor away." Eto reported. 

"The two other prototypes Kuro and Shiro are also dead Tatara-san." Kanou added. "They proved to be far too weak."

"Then they no longer concern us." Tatara replied. "You said the one eyed's friends were there? Does this include anyone from the academy we sent Yamori to spy on?" 

"It did! I met a girl who attacked me with ice." Eto told him, sounding excited as she did so. 

"If he's allied himself with youkai then that makes him a dangerous factor as we have no way of telling how powerful any of them may be. If he returns again we should keep an eye on him." Tatara stated. "Take us back to headquarters." The driver shifted the car into drive and took off into the night, leaving the area dark once more as the night had now drawn to a close. 


	17. The final day of break

In a dark underground area of Tokyo, a large number of ghouls gathered in mass at an arena. This place was known as the ghoul restaurant, run by Tsukiyama. It was a place of both food and entertainment for the ghouls of Tokyo. They would come from all around the city to eat at Tsukiyama's famed underground establishment. They would all gather above an arena and watch as helpless prey was torn apart in a violent and bloody and show before being served to guests. It was much like the Roman coliseum during ancient times. They came to watch a blood spectacle and be entertained. 

Though the restaurant and it's guests did tout the whole thing as being classy, none of it was. It was carnage, plain and simple. They watched their meal get killed right in front of them before said victim was cut up and served to them. They often had more than one victim as well. They were watching an execution and making a spectacle of it. There was no class to it. Nothing was fancy. They simply came to watch death and eat like pigs. 

Tsukiyama had hosted these events multiple times before so gathering a crowd was an easy task. He had a sizable group on this night and it was his duty as their host to start things off. He headed for his raised platform in the front of the seating area that sat above the arena so that the guests may look down from a safe distance. Everyone had their masks on as the parties had been raided a few times before. Yet still they could not resist coming to Tsukiyama's famed ghoul restaurant. 

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to MM." Tsukiyama greeted them, his voice calling out over the crowd. "I see new faces and old faces abroad. As you host I would like to thank you for coming here tonight. We have a very special treat for you all tonight. I hope you enjoy." As his voice subsided a single light shone down on the arena below. The guests of MM all looked to see the arena empty. Then a single figures clad in black with snow white hair and a leather eyepatch mask walked into the center of the arena.

"What's this?" A male guest asked aloud. 

"Is he a scrapper?" A female asked. Scrapper referenced those employed to kill the humans provided for the night's feast.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's course is served." Tsukiyama announced. The crowd began to murmur to one another as to what he meant by that. Down below, Kaneki unzipped the mouth part of his mask and his eye transformed. 

"Tonight's dinner, is all of you!" He revealed to all those unfortunate enough to have attended on that night.

* * *

The following morning was the last day of their summer break. It would be their last day in Tokyo before they headed back to Youkai Academy. Nekonome was to pick them up later that afternoon on the same bus they had arrived on. They had spent several months their looking for Kanou and for answers but came up just short of empty handed. They had no further leads or anything to go on. They had what little Kanou had told them at the mansion and that was it. 

Kaneki was affected by it more than anyone else. After all the driving force behind their whole raid was him. He was the victim who had his humanity taken away from him. He was the one who truly wanted answers, he wanted an explanation for what Kanou had done to him. Instead he had only received vague answers and no real ends to his questions. In fact he had walked away with more than he had before. Why on earth did Kanou know Yoshimura's name, and how was the manager involved with Aogiri? These new uncertainties troubled Kaneki during his last days in Tokyo. 

He was the last to wake up that day, which was unusual for him. He was normally the first one up in the morning. However his late night training with Tsukiyama had moved his sleep schedule back and caused him to delay his wake up time. When he stepped into the living room and kitchen area he found everyone already up. The girls were all gathered around the table while Gin say lazily on the couch. 

"Good morning Kankei-kun!" Moka's bright and cheery smile greeted him as he joined the rest of them. 

"Good morning Moka-chan." Kaneki said back. 

"You're up later than usual." Mizore noticed. 

"Yeah. I've been out late training." Kaneki told her. 

"I still don't entirely trust that Tsukiyama guy." Kurumu voiced her complaint. "Not after what he tried to do to you. Plus he's really strange." 

"Oh he's not that bad. Besides, he knows if he tries anything i'll kill him." Kaneki responded. 

"Since I was up first I made coffee, would you like some Kaneki-kun?"Moka offered. Kaneki thought about it and decided to check the clock before giving his answer. 

"Ah, I can't!" He exclaimed after seeing the time. "I'm supposed to be picking Hinami up at Anteiku soon. I have to go." 

"Are you sure Kaneki-kun?" Moka asked. 

"Yeah. Takatsuki Sen is in town and I promised Hinami i'd take her to Takatsuki-san's book signing." Kaneki explained. He headed for the door to leave. "I'l be back before Nekonome-sensei comes to get us." He announced before stepping out through the door and leaving the rest of the club in his apartment. Moka was saddened that Kaneki did not try the coffee she had made for him. She tried to do something nice for him and hoped he would like it. Instead he simply left to go be with his friends in Tokyo. Though she could understand that. Even though she still felt rejected, she understood that he did not have much time to spend with his friends. Plus she knew he was a big fan of the author he was going to see. Moka had simply turned to the kitchen and poured the coffee she made into the sink.

* * *

Though it was September already the air outside was still warm with the vibrant feel of summer to it. Kaneki was dressed in a plain black tee and shorts to suit the weather. It was not a long walk for him to reach the small coffee shop. Once he had arrived he opened the door which sounded the bell above it. It was a familiar feeling for him, even after spending a semester away from the city. He found Hinami already dressed and waiting for him there at the counter. The entire staff was on the floor doing various tasks to keep them busy. "Onii-chan!" Hinami cried out as she rushed over to Kaneki.

"Hello Hinami-chan. Are you ready?" Kaneki asked. 

"Uh-huh." Hinami nodded. 

"Take care you two." Yoshimura saw them off with a smile. Kaneki's expression suddenly shifted into a more morose one and he avoided direct eye contact with the manager. 

"Yeah." He replied in an apathetic tone. He turned to the door and left with Hinami following right behind her big brother. Yoshimura noticed Kaneki's change in behavior and was worried about it. He did not say anything though as it was Kaneki's last day and there was not much he could do. Kaneki kept quiet on his part as well. Where would he even begin? That he knew Yoshimura was somehow involved with Aogiri and nothing else? Would he even be able to out him in front of the others like that? Kaneki had simply decided it was best to keep quiet about what he knew. 

Besides, it was the last day he had to spend with his friends. He most likely would not be returning to the human world until after he graduated. He was going to spend it with Hinami and going to see his favorite author. He had wanted to meet Takatsuki Sen before he attended Youkai Academy, not long after his transformation. However the event had been cancelled and he was unable to meet her. However he had another chance now on the last day of his summer vacation. He had decide to take Hinami with him to Takatsuki Sen's book signing as it would be their last day together for awhile. He knew that she enjoyed Sen's books just as much as he did. 

The two of them walked together through the populated streets of Tokyo's 20th ward. Hinami followed close behind Kaneki, as that made her feel safe. She was not used to walking around in the city streets, especially after the incident with her mother. She often stayed inside the apartment above Anteiku and avoided the outside world. If she ever needed to travel she preferred to do it at night as many ghouls did. One of her greatest fears was being recognized by the CCG and being found. That would not only put her own life at stake but could perhaps put her friends in jeopardy too if they ever found out about Anteiku. 

However she was glad to be out again and with her big brother. It had been months since she had last seen him. She was glad he was able to make it back for break, even if he may not get to do so again. Just this one time was enough for her. She was glad to be close to him as they walked towards the bookstore in the 20th ward. It was on the opposite side of Anteiku within the ward, yet the overall walk was not far. It was around fifteen minutes after leaving that they arrived at the shop. There was already a line that neared the front of the shop, all fans eager to meet one of their favorite authors. Kaneki and Hinami took their place in the back, only a meter or so away from the entrance. Takatsuki Sen was not present at the time. 

Though they had arrived ten minutes after the signing was supposed to start, there was no sign of the guest of honor. The linear crowd was murmuring about her being late to her own event. Some were wondering what was keeping her. Others debated on whether she would even show up at all. Near the table that was all set up was two men in suits whispering to one another. They were Sen's manager and an employee of his. It was not the first time that she had shown up late to an event so they were more lax about it than the others were. However those who had come to see here were all in the dark about the situation. Typical human fear of the unknown began to kick in at that point which lead to conclusions. 

"Onii-chan, have you ever met Takastuki-san before?" Hinami asked, looking up to her big brother. 

"No, but I did see a picture of her in an interview once." Kaneki told her. 

"What does she look like?" Hinami questioned, curious about her favorite author. 

"Let me think, she has long green hair and green eyes. She's also a very beautiful woman." Kaneki depicted. "There are some people who are into her as a person rather than her works." 

"Late, I am so late." A girl's voice panicked. Kaneki turned his head to his left to see a girl just like he had described rush past him and Hinami. Hinami's jaw dropped as soon as she realized who that was. The girl with long green hair who was dressed in a long purple dress rushed past the line and up to the two men up front. She bowed and apoligzed to the manager before taking a seat and offering a similar gesture to those in wait. "Sorry everyone, I overslept." Takatsuki Sen apologized for her tardiness. She promptly opened the first book of the stack and clicked her pen. The line started to move as the book signing now had now begun.

Within minutes Hinami and Kaneki had moved farther ahead. Despite a late start, the book signing was moving along with relative ease. She would get their name and sign it in a copy of her newest release, _The Hanged Man's MacGuffin_. They would usually give her compliments too. Telling her about how much they loved her works or how brilliant a writer she was. She thanked them before handing them their copy and repeating the process. Kaneki was lost in his own thoughts as he waited in line. The events of nights prior still plagued his thoughts. 

Kanou was still out there to do as he wished. Though he no longer had a victim to harvest from there were plenty of others for him to ensnare into his sinister plans. Who else would fall victim to his schemes? Furthermore, what was the true reason for all of it? Kanou had given little in way of answers during the raid of his mansion. He had told them the world was in a birdcage but did not say exactly what that meant. What did this birdcage mean, and who was the one who created it? But most of all, Kaneki wanted to know what Yoshimura's name had come up. Was it all just a plot to meddle with his mind? Was Yoshimura playing him for a fool this whole time? It was the one thing that bothered Kaneki more than anything else. Yet he was out of time to do anything else.

"Well what a cute couple we have here." Sen commented as the two of them finally reached the front. Her voice snapped Kaneki out of his deep though and he came too. 

"We're not a couple." Hinami defended while blushing. "This is my onii-chan." 

"Well isn't that cute!" Sen chimed. "What are your names?"

"Hi... Hinami." Hinami answered nervously. Sen wrote the name down in a copy and handed it to her before taking another one off the pile.

"And who's this funky looking onii-chan?" She asked. 

"Kaneki Ken." He replied. "By the way, the warden in this book. He's the nephew of the investigator in one of your older works right?" He asked as she jotted down his name.

"That's right! You're rather clever to have noticed that." Sen complimented him. 

"Thanks. I had a feeling of deja vu after the conversation with his family tree so I went back to look and there it was." 

"Takatsuki-san, it's time for the next person." Her manager instructed from afar. 

"Got it." She waved to him. 

"Thank you very much Takatsuki-san." Hinami showed her thanks with a bow. 

"You're welcome, come back next time." She waved goodbye to them before they left and allowed the next person in line to move ahead. Hinami was smiling from ear to ear with her new book held close to her side. Kaneki noticed her delight and smiled to himself. 

"I haven't seen you that happy in awhile Hinami-chan." He commented. 

"Eh?" She turned to him, failing to notice her own apparent joy. 

"Were you glad to have met her?" Kaneki asked. 

"Yes, thank you for taking me here onii-chan!" Hinami replied. "I'm glad I got to see Takatsuki-san with you before you have to go back." 

"Me too Hinami-chan." Kaneki responded with a smile of his own. Though he kept his troubles to himself. He didn't want to ruin the day they were having. 

* * *

After returning Hinami to Anteiku, Kaneki promptly returned back to his apartment. He was promptly greeted by his friends who asked him about his time out. He described meeting Takatsuki Sen to them and getting his new book signed. Afterwards they all packed up and prepared for Nekonome to pick them up. They packed up their things and tidied up the apartment before preparing to leave. The readied their suitcases at the door after they finished packing. Once everyone had finished they turned off all the lights and left the apartment one final time. 

They were to meet Nekonome at the same place she had dropped them off at during the start of summer break. Instead of walking this time however they all took a bus to the 14th Ward to meet up with their teacher. It was a short ride to the next ward and they soon arrived at the spot where they were to wait for another bus. They all stood wit their bags and suitcases near them as they waited. Save for Yukari who had just used her hat and some magic. 

"It was nice here but personally I can not wait to be back at my own dorm." Kurumu divulged to the others.

"Me too!" Moka agreed. "Personally i'm just glad to be leaving the human world behind." 

"Was it really that bad Moka-chan?" Kaneki asked innocently. 

"I guess it wasn't as bad as when I attended school. But going outside here still makes me uncomfortable." She replied. 

"Well one day we'll have no choice." Gin reminded her. "We can't stay at Youkai Academy forever. Some of us are going to have to learn how to live in places like this. Kaneki-kun is lucky because he's been living like this his whole life. It's different for us though. We have to learn to adapt. Not to say you haven't done some adapting yourself Kaneki." 

"Gin-senpai?" Kaneki was surprised to hear this from him. 

"I have to admit. You've gone through some pretty rough stuff in the last few months. The accident and what happened after that." He avoided publicly saying ghoul. "Then going to Youkai Academy with the lot of us. You keep getting thrown into new territory but you always seem to come out on top. That's pretty impressive."

"What's with you all of the sudden?" Mizore asked.

"What? I can be an emotional person ya know." He replied cooly. 

"Yeah, sure." Kurumu responded dismissively. 

"He's right though." Moka agreed. "We can't stay together at school forever. We're all going to graduate one day and we'll have to move on to lives of our own. Mizore-chan has her home to go back to but the rest of us will have to learn to live in this world. Who knows what will happen then."

"Whatever happens, we'll stick together." Kaneki declared. "I won't let anything happen to you guys. Besides, i'm not done in this world yet." 

Just then the bus pulled up in front of them. The small blue school bus came to a halt at the curb in front of the Newspaper Club before it's doors opened. Nekonome was there on the bus to greet them with a smile. "Hello again everyone! I hope you enjoyed your stay here." Nekonome greeted them. "Now everyone on board. We're headed right back for the academy!" The students grabbed their bags and lined up single filed to get onto the bus. "I do hope you have something interesting for the next semester's first edition." 

"Oh no, that's right." Kaneki realized. "Gin-senpai, i'm sorry I led us all on that hunt to not get anything out of it." 

"Are you kidding me?" Gin replied with disbelief. "Come on, we might not have gotten all the answers we were looking for but we certainly have a juicy story. I can see it now." He placed one arm around Kaneki and waved his other hand in front of them. "Mad human scientist creates artificial ghouls." Nekonome tilted her head and stared at them with a dazed look. 

"What on earth were you kids doing?" She asked. 


	18. A New Semester

It was the first day of the second semester at Youkai Academy. All of the students had returned from vacation or were ready to begin after staying on campus grounds during break. Everyone was dressed up in their uniforms once more as school had started back up. It was very busy with the hustling of students going to their new classes and catching up with old friends. Old friends met, nostalgia was satisfied, and the overall feeling of the new semester was positive so far. Though in truth the number of students who made it to the second semester was less than that of those who had attended during the first semester. 

The students of class 163 were all gathered in their seats as the school day had officially begun. Nekonome stood in front of all of them to greet them back on their first day back. "Hello everyone, and welcome back to Youkai Academy!" She announced. "Today marks the start your second semester. It is tradition during the fall semester for us to hold the Youkai Academy School Festival. For this we will be picking a class representative who will help organize the festival along with the student committee. So, who among you shall be nominated?" There was whispers among the students, chattering about the position of class representative. A position which would no doubt be demanding. 

"I would like to nominate Kaneki Ken." Mizore spoke up. Kaneki turned back to her with surprise to see her with her hand raised as she looked ahead casually. As if nominating him without his knowing was no big deal. 

"I also nominate Kaneki Ken!" Kurumu shouted in agreement. 

"Same here!" Moka added her input. 

"Great, and will you accept the role Kaneki-san?" Nekonome asked. Kaneki sighed and stood up from his seat. 

"Well I suppose I don't have much of a choice so I will accept the position as class representative." He declared aloud. The students in the room all began to clap for their class representative. Showing him their appreciation and respect for him taking the position. Though it did not help ease Kaneki who knew that it would be more work for him. He would have to keep up with his classwork for the semester while also working with the student committee to plan the school festival. Though he was smart he was not an overachiever or outstanding student. He did not join after school activities when he was in middle school, instead going about on his lonesome. He was not used to handle so much responsibility and though he should be proud of his new title, he was dreading the extra work.

"Why the hell are you all clapping for him?" A gruff voice called out from the doorway. Everyone ceased their applause and looked to see a tall blonde boy standing near the door. Kaneki instantly recognized him as Saizou, the one who attacked him and Moka on their first day. Kaneki glared at him from where he stood as Saizou scowled back at him. "This guy is a weakling who can't even fight his own fights. Do you really want him to be class rep?" 

"Oh, Komiya-san. I haven't seen you in awhile." Nekonome commented at seeing him return after a long time away. "But I ask that you not be so disruptive. Kaneki-san has already been elected as class representative and it's too late to change that." Saizou scoffed at the though. He made his way for the half-ghoul and stared him down, attempting to intimidate him. 

"The others might think you're hot stuff but you don't fool me. You little brat!" He swung a punch straight for Kaneki. Kaneki swiftly caught the punched and kicked Saizou off balance. He used this to toss Saizou over himself and onto the floor between two rows of desks. He turned himself onto his stomach and rose slightly, glaring up at Kaneki with eyes burning with hate. 

"Your footing is entirely off. You're just using your strength to overpower your opponent. That doesn't work on people stronger than you." Kaneki lectured him coldly. Saizou gritted his teeth. 

"Tch, why you..." He rose back to his feet and prepared for another attack.

"Alright, that's enough you two!" Nekonome scolded them. "Not in my class, settle it outside afterwards if you must." 

"Yes sensei." Kaneki promptly responded. 

"Fine." Saizou reluctantly agreed. He took a seat in the back farther away from Kaneki. During the whole class he was shooting daggers at Kaneki who never even bothered to glance back. 

* * *

Later in the day, Kaneki along with Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari were gathered around a table outside for lunch. The girls had all packed their own lunches while Kaneki did not eat. Though unlike last semester they now understood why. For Kaneki it was nice to be around people understanding of his condition. He knew that it would be the opposite in the human world, where he would have to fake enjoying food in order to keep up appearances. At Youkai Academy however it was different. He could not eat with with his friends and they would be understanding on the issue. It was something they simply accepted as it was a part of his nature as a ghoul. Humans on the other hand were much more fearful creatures, ones that destroyed what they did not understand or could not control. 

He had been thinking a bit about what he said before they headed back to Youkai Academy on the bus. What would he do after he and the others had all graduated? He would have to return to the human world which was not as big a deal for him. He had a place to stay and a job at Anteiku for him already. He also knew how to blend into human society before even attending school. However, this did not erase the fact that he would have to always look out for the CCG and its investigators. He also still had Kanou and Aogiri Tree to deal with once he returned home. Which only upset him that he could not deal with them while at the hidden away world of Youkai Academy. 

"So are you guys excited for the new semester?" Moka asked her friends around the table. 

"Yeah, it feels good to be back." Kaneki responded. 

"Tokyo was fun though. We should definitely visit again." Kurumu added. 

"That might be such a good idea considering the state of things." Kaneki reminded her. "Aogiri is still free to go around and take over more wards. They've already taken over one ward, they can take others."

"What about those humans that are supposed to hunt them?" Yukari asked. 

"The CCG is trying to fight back. Aoigiri Tree actually forced them out of the 11th ward. The city is turning into a war zone at this point and it might not be safe to go back."

"But what about you Kaneki-kun? Aren't you going to go back one day?" Moka asked with tone of concern. 

"That's different." He answered.

"How is it different?" Kurumu questioned. 

"Because I have to go back. There are still things there I have to finish." 

"You mean with that Kanou guy, right?" Kurumu already knew what he had meant. "You know you can't just head off into danger like that by yourself." 

"I don't want to drag you guys into this any more than I already have." He responded. 

"Don't be ridiculous, desu! We'll always have your back." Yukari reminded him.

"That's right. As long as we fight together i'm sure we can all pull through it." Moka agreed.

"You guys understand how dangerous this is right? Remember what happened to Banjou-san?" Kaneki asked them. 

"It doesn't matter." Mizore spoke up as her head popped up from behind some bushes near them, much to their surprise. "Everyone is ready to defend you Kaneki-kun." 

"Mizore-chan, you're more than welcome to come eat lunch with us." Kaneki offered, giving her a gesture of reaching his hand out towards her. 

"No, i'm fine. Thank you." She answered, blushing at his kindness. 

None of them noticed the figures up above on the roof. Not a one of them knew that they were being watched. Up above, four male students stared down at the group from the rooftop of the school. Not on the part where students were allowed, but standing on the overhang of the roof itself. One of them was Saizou, the same student who had attacked Kaneki and Moka. He glared down at the group of friends with disgust. "That one-eyed bastard is surrounded by the top girls in the class and acts like it's nothing. He pisses me off the no end." Saizou grunted. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Midou asked. He was in the back of the group, leaning against the fence of the school roof area. He had blonde hair like Saizou though he kept it in a shorter military style cut. He also had a scar on the left side of his face that ran across his ear and down below his eye. "Words is he threw you like a rag doll. Twice!" 

"That was just a fluke!" Saizou quickly defended. "He might get bursts of strength but otherwise he's weak. Plus, without her pet Akashiya Moka can't remove her rosary and unleash her true form. Which means she'll be even weaker than him."

"If you're going to go ahead with this, fine. Just remember one thing, you're a member of our group now. So if you mess this up..." Midou make a gesture of running his index finger across his own throat. "It's curtains for you." Saizou gulped from the intimidation. 

"Don't worry, we can handle this." Saizou reassured his superior. "Besides, once the higher ups hear that we defeated a high and mighty vampire i'm sure they'll reward us." 

"Yeah, they won't stand a chance against three of us." A third boy, Moroha, agreed.

"Very well. Just remember I warned you, we have no room for the weak." Midou let them know, making his intentions fully clear.

* * *

Later that day, Moka and Kaneki were walking together after class. They had decided to revisit some of the places on campus after spending months off campus. They were currently on a lone path through the deadened woods of the school. As always the trees were nothing but bark as if it was the middle of winter. This was simply how they were though. Lifeless, which along with the tombstones scattered about made the scene very morose. As if were something more out of a Lovecraft horror story than part of a school. However it was a scene that Moka enjoyed and Kaneki had become used to after some time. Which made their walk more pleasant. 

"I missed this place." Moka commented as they walked side by side. 

"It seems like you weren't really a fan of the city." Kaneki remarked. 

Moka shook her head. "I'm sorry. I just really can't forget the memories of going to school there." 

"Don't worry, I understand Moka-chan." Kaneki told her. 

"Thank you, i'm glad Kaneki-kun." She smiled back at him only to find he suddenly had a scowl on his face. He stared straight ahead with that dark look on his face. Moka noticed something had changed and wondered if he was actually upset over her not enjoying their trip. "Is something wrong Kaneki-kun?" She asked. 

"We're being followed." He told her. This came as a surprise to her. His senses were better than her in her current form, so he could tell if someone was following them. He did so during the first semester with Mizore. So when he told her that they were being followed she instantly began to feel panicked. Youkai Academy could be a dangerous place, and it was not uncommon for disappearances to happen. 

"Are you sure it's not Mizore-chan?" Moka asked. 

"No." Kaneki suddenly stopped in his tracks. "There's three of them. I recognize one of their scents." He suddenly turned towards the direction they had come from. "Come on out Saizou." He called out. Two figures appeared from behind trees and stepped onto the path. They were Saizou and Moroha. Both boys approached the other two with wicked grins. 

"So you sensed us following you?" Saizou realized. "That won't save you though. Get him!" Moroha rushed in towards Kaneki. His hands transformed into long blades as he went in for the kill. He brought both blades in from the sides in a scissor like attack. He was stopped when two of Kaneki's rinkaku tentacles blocked the blades. The other two shot out and cut Moroha in the right shoulder and the left side of his stomach. He reeled from the pain and instantly backed up away from Kaneki. "Moroha!" Saizou called out. 

"Shit, that bastad's strong." Moroha could tell from the attack. "I didn't think they let ghouls in here." 

"You're fucking dead!" Saizou shouted. 

"Moka-chan, stay back." Kaneki instructed. 

"But..." She tried to argue.

"Don't worry. They're weak, I can take them." Kaneki told her. "You just stay back and don't get hurt." She wanted to argue with him but didn't wish to make him angry. She reluctantly decided to stay out of it and backed up. However, she felt someone grab her from behind. She let out a scream and Kaneki turned back to see a third boy with an hazelnut colored hoodie and a black beanie holding Moka in a full nelson. 

"Ha ha, who's weak now?" He taunted. Kaneki gritted his teeth and in an instant he rushed in and appeared behind the boy. He picked him up by the back of his head which caused the boy to release his grip on Moka. Kaneki lifted him up in that painful position and held him up off his feet. "Ow ow ow, you guys. He's stronger than we though." A single red rinkaku limb pierced through his chest. "Gack!" He coughed up blood and cringed from the impact before his body went limp. Kaneki retracted his kagune from the boy's body and tossed him to the side.

"Holy shit, he just killed him." Moroha remarked in fear. 

"You bastard. We of ANTI-THESIS won't let you get away with that." Saizou declared. 

"I don't give a damn what you think or who you are." Kaneki retorted. He rushed in with great speed towards the other two boys. "You're in my way!" He sent out all four of his kagune members towards them in a horizontal attack. Both Saizou and Moroha jumped back to dodge the attack. Saizou's body began to change as he assumed his true form. HE became a large brutish creature who's tongue hung out of his mouth. Kaneki spun through the air as he retracted his attack. He came down on Moroha with a downwards axe kick. Moroha crossed his blades to block the attack. Once they locked Kaneki raised his other leg and kicked his opponent in the jaw. The other boy was sent flying back a short distance, but ended up landing on his feet. 

Moroha rushed in towards his opponent once more. He jumped and brought both blades up above his head for a downward strike. Kaneki stared up at him icily and brought two parts of his kagune up. He severed both of Moroha's arms, causing them to spin off while blood gushed out. "GYAA!" Moroha cried out before falling face first to the dirt below. Before he could get back up, Kaneki finished him off by piercing his body at several points with his kagune. Moroha flinched from the strike before ceasing to move. Kaneki retracted his kagune and turned towards Saizou. 

"Raaaa!" Saizou yelled as he charged at Kaneki. He used a shoulder charge attack to try and knock the ghoul down. Kaneki jumped into the air above Saizou. He sent his kagune down towards the earth and towards Saizou. He cut through his thick hide and left four large gashes. Saizou was left badly injured from the attack and Kaneki landed on teh ground behind him. Saizou turned back to his opponent who stood there with an eerie calm. Yet there was a sinister tone with the way he looked at Saizou. Like a wolf spotting it's prey. Saizou would't allow it though. He would not fall, not here and not to someone who he saw as weak. 

Even though everything, Saizou refused to acknowledge Kaneki's strength. He simply let out another shout and rushed in with a punch. Kaneki easily side stepped the attack and delivered a swift uppercut to Saizou's gut, which stunned him in place. He then snapped his kagune up which launched Saizou high into the air and off into the distance. After it was over, Kaneki turned to Moka once more. This time his serious look faded and it was replaced with a gentler smile. "It's over now Moka-chan." He told her. Moka stepped out from her spot behind a tree and approached him. 

"Kaneki-kun, you've gotten stronger." She noticed. 

"Yeah, that training with Tsukiyama really helped." He replied. "I'm glad too, because I want to protect you guys. You, Kurumu-chan, Mizore-chan, and Yukari-chan. You are all important to me and I want to protect you." She now was standing to him more closely, her eyes gleaming with seeing his drive to protect her and all his friends. "I will protect everyone." 

"Kaneki-kun." She closed in and pulled him into an embrace. He was surprised to see her suddenly hug him and hold onto him. He wasn't complaining though. He held her back and the two of them stayed like that for a short time. Just happy to be around one another.

A short time later, Midou along with two other male students approached an incapacitated Saizou. Saizou was too injured to get up and could barely move. He was currently back in his human form, without a shirt as it tore from his transformation. He managed to look up to see the others standing over him with disappointed looks. "What did I tell you Saizou?' Midou asked. "I told you what would happen if you lost. Now look at you." He stomped on Saizou roughly which caused him even more pain.

"Midou... please..." Saizou managed to beg. 

"What should we do with him boss?" One of the others asked. 

"The cliffs aren't far from here. Toss him in for whatever lies in those waters." Midou ordered. The other two picked Saizou up by his arms and dragged him off. Saizou called out weakly but it was no use. To Midou and those of ANTI-THESIS, losing was unforgivable. Saizou was an embarrassment and needed to be taken care of. He was dragged off as he pleaded helplessly, never to be seen again. For Midou however, his next move was clear. He could not allow their group to be ashamed like that. He would personally take care of both Kaneki Ken and Akashiya Moka for the name of ANTI-THESIS. He walked off back towards their headquarters, plotting as he did so. He could never imagine the fate that would await him. 


	19. Centipede

"ANTI-THESIS, huh?" Gin asked as he sat atop a desk in Nekonome's room. They were currently gathered for their first club meeting of the semester along with the other club members. They had told the others about what had happened the day prior and asked if anyone knew anything about the name Saizou had given them. Gin was the one to respond. "Yeah, I heard of them a little near the end of last semester. They're a gang of monstrels, hybrid youkai with heavily mixed genes. They weren't very active last semester but it seems that they're picking up speed." 

"You said they're hybrid youkai, does that make them more dangerous?" Kaneki asked.

"In a sense. They don't have a set form that ll of them can transform into as their genetics are heavily cross bred. This makes them more unpredictable than other races. However this also means they're more looked down upon, which causes them to be more aggressive. That Saizou guy you described is the perfect example of a rouge monstrel, also known as an outcast ayashi. If you beat some of them up you can be the others will be out for revenge." 

"Great, so now we have them to deal with." Kaneki remarked. 

"More importantly, what were you and Moka-chan doing alone in the woods yesterday?" Kurumu pried. 

"Nothing, we weren't doing anything!" Moka defended, her face turning a flush shade of red. 

"I bet you weren't." Mizore commented sarcastically. "I guess i'll just have to follow you more now." 

"Ah, no that's alright Mizore-chan. I wouldn't want you to overwork yourself on my behalf." Kaneki replied, trying to get her to retract her statement. 

"Nonsense. I enjoy following you." She told him. He let out a sigh, knowing that Mizore would make good on her promise. 

* * *

Moka was walking down the halls on her own later that day. Her next class she had with Kurumu, but sine they did not share a class together beforehand she was forced to walk by herself to her next class. This was time for her to be alone and have her thoughts to herself. Things were already starting to bother her and it was only the second day of the semester. First there was what had happened with Kaneki during break. He was no doubt unsatisfied with the answers he had received and would one day return to settle things. But that was a long time away. More importantly there was this new group ANTI-THESIS. A gang of outcast ayashi who were most certainly angry with the pureblood youkai who looked down on them. She was sure they would prove to be a cause of concern.

She knew the outcast ayashi had a reputation of being violent and more bestial in nature. Though she did not like to believe in stereotypes, Saizou did leave a certain image in her mind. If there were more like him, then they certainly would not take a loss lying down. They had to prove themselves, they had to bare their fangs and show their strength. Their pride would not allow it. In that way they were similar to vampires. Inner Moka was the spitting image of what a vampire should be. Grace, elegance, strength, and pride. She oozed confidence with everything she did and she had her pride in tact. If someone were to damage it in any way, retaliation would be swift. The outcast ayashi were the same. They would not let someone trample their pride so easily. 

Moka's thoughts were interrupted when she felt someone grab her from behind. She was caught off guard and the stranger quickly pulled her into a hold. Her arm was pinned against her back and a rag was forced to her face. She quickly began to lose consciousness as the ether soaked rag did its work. Withing seconds Moka lost consciousness and her book bag fell to the floor. The attacked caught her before she fell and removed the rag from her face. He picked her up over his shoulder and carried her back to the hideout. 

* * *

After classes had ended, Kaneki walked through the halls of the school alone. He had not seen Moka for the last two periods, and it was not like her to simply not show up without any reason. She had always been a star student, in fact as far as grades went she was always above him. So it was unusual for her to skip class like that. She would have at least had a reason such as going home sick which someone was sure to know about. Yet that was not the case. She had simply not shown up without a trace. 

This unsettled Kaneki. He knew just how dangerous Youkai Academy could be. It was not impossible for someone to have attempted to kidnap her. It was just a fact of life there. They were go uninvestigated and unpunished if no culprit was ever found. That was an outcome that Kaneki was starting to fear. What's more is it could also have been ANTI-THESIS. Gin did tell them to expect retaliation of some sort. Whatever it was, Moka's disappearance was worrying Kaneki. 

He approached a nearby trash can. "Mizore-chan, have you seen Moka-chan lately?" He asked. Mizore popped out from her hiding spot behind the trash can, knowing she was spotted by his heightened senses. 

"Not for the last two periods, no." Mizore answered. Kaneki frowned at her answer. He was upset to feel so helpless in this situation. He could not allow himself to be weak now. If he did, he wouldn't be able to protect Moka. Which made the fact that he was in the dark irritating. 

"Thanks anyway Mizore-chan." Kaneki replied. He walked off and Mizore went to find another hiding spot. Kaneki walked outside to find most of the students had returned to their dorms already. The outside yard was empty with the exception of him, and most likely Mizore stalking about somewhere nearby. He let out a sigh as he began to think of where to start looking for Moka. He could always try to pick up her scent like a dog and following it from there. Though he would need something to pick it up first. He would also try wandering the school grounds listening in for her voice and hope by chance he would come across her. There was no surefire way for him to locate here, which was also upsetting.

"Looking for someone?" A gruff male voice asked. Kaneki turned to his right to see three boys stand there. The middle was the one who spoke up, Midou. He was joined by a boy with black hair in a brown hoodie and with a black baseball cap. Along with a third male in a beige jacket with short and spiky brown hair. Kaneki turned to face them with an unmoved expression. "I assume you want to know where Akashiya Moka is." 

"That's right, and I assume you know where she is." Kaneki replied. Midou nodded. 

"Correct." Midou answered. "I am outcast ayashi Midou Kusabi. ANTI-THESIS now has Akashiya Moka. If you want to see here again then follow us." 

"Lead on." Kaneki replied calmly. Midou smirked at the other boy's confidence. He along with his two fellow gang members led Kaneki to their hideout farther away on the school grounds. The hideout was an large abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the school grounds. Midou led Kaneki to the side part of the building, which was perpendicular with the other part. It had a large glass ceiling that curved above it. The inside looked just as decrepit as the exterior. Things were dirty, unkept, and thrown around. It looked as if no one had used the building in years. It felt much different than the Gothic look of the school. 

"Kaneki-kun!" Moka cried out. He looked towards about halfway down the length of the building to see Moka sitting on a couch with her arms bound together by chains. There was a wall of trash and debris that split the large otherwise open room in two. Nearby Moka was three more ANTI-THESIS members. Two of them were playing cards while one was just sitting by idly. "No, you mustn't come Kaneki-kun!" 

"Moka-chan, are you hurt?" He asked plainly. 

"No, but you must run or else they'll hurt you too!" She shouted. 

"I'm glad to hear you're alright." He told her with a smile. "Please, wait there while I take care of things." 

"Excuse me?" Midou interrupted, sounding as if he had been offended. "Do you really think you can take all of us? God, I really hate you elitist purebred scum." Midou tossed his jacket off his shoulders and began to transform. His right side transformed while his left seemed to stay unchanged for the most part. His arm thickened and became massive. He was engulfed by an aura of youkai energy as the transformation became complete. His right arm was now a massive gray monstrosity with claws for fingers. "If you think you can take her by force then prove it." 

"I'm afraid you're mistaken Midou. I'm not exactly a purebred youkai myself." Kaneki informed him. "But that doesn't matter now. Anyone who gets in my way will be..." He pulled off his eyepatch to reveal his single kakugan as he let out his full kagune. "Eradicated!" 

The other ANTI-THESIS members all took a step back as Kaneki revealed his true form. Midou frowned as he realized that this would not be an easy battle. Though it did not matter how hard it would be. In the end, all he cared about was winning and coming out on top. 

"What is that?" One of the others asked. "How come he's only got one red eye?" 

"He's called a One-Eyed Ghoul." Midou announced. "They're supposed to be very rare but far more powerful than regular ghouls. Although i've actually never fought a ghoul myself, i'm curious to see what you can do." Midou then got the first attack. He punched down towards Kaneki and ended up smashing the ground into a cloud of dust. Kaneki jumped above his striked and sent out his kagune to strike Midou. Midou was hit by them in several spots and was sent sliding back on the ground some distance. He landed against the trash wall on the other side while Kaneki landed on his feet below. Midou picked himself back up and re-approached his opponent. 

Kaneki let him get closer in order to bring the fight away from Moka. Once Midou was close enough, Kaneki went in for the attack, spinning around and delivering a swift kick with the bottom of his foot on the latter part of the spin. Midou blocked the kick and managed to block Kaneki's kagune as he attacked with that as well. Midou pushed Kaneki away and Kaneki landed on the ground nearby. He rushed in towards the hybrid once more, sending all parts of his rinkaku out ahead. Midou rushed in past them and got an attack in. He delivered an uppercut with great force that knocked Kaneki into the air. Midou then rushed to the other side as Kaneki was coming down and delivered a blow to send him flying back. Kaneki managed to block the strike but was still sent flying back. He crashed into wall of trash and fell down against it. 

"Kaneki-kun!" Moka shouted as she rushed over to his side. He was badly injured from Midou's combo. He was bruised and hardly capable of moving. Though he would heal soon due to his natural abilities, it was unlikely Midou would give him the chance to. "You're hurt, please let me help!" She pleaded. "At this rate he'll kill you. Please, let me fight too." Kaneki knew she was right and he did not have much of a choice. He knew now there still were battles he could not fight on his own. He reached up and pulled the rosary off her neck. There was a powerful wave of youkai energy that was unleashed as he inner self was to let loose. Midou and the other members of ANTI-THESIS all were frozen from the overwhelming power emanating from her. Within seconds Moka was transformed into the more mature silver haired version that was her inner form. She casually approached the shocked Midou. 

"Now then, from here on out I shall be your opponent." Inner Moka declared. 

"Ha, fine by me vampire." Midou replied. "I don't care about smashing him as as much as I do you and your smug face." He rushed in towards Moka and prepared to swing his massive arm. Moka easily intercepted him with a kick that sent him fly off into a wall. He sailed past his gang members before crashing into the hard wall behind him. 

"Shit, Midou!" One of the called out in a panic. Midou managed to pick himself up again and faced towards the overwhelming vampire. There was a dribble of bloodcoming from his mouth and his breathing starting to become heavier. Nonetheless, he was determined to win and prove himself to a pureblood vampire. He jumped into the air high above her and came down with and overhead attack. He smashed the ground to pieces where he impacted. There was a shockwave created by the force of his impact that blew around any bits of small debris it caught. However he only managed to hit the ground. Moka had vanished from the spot. 

"Is that all?" She taunted. Midou looked to his right just in time to catch a powerful kick that sent him spiraling through the air. He slid across the ground and ended up hitting his head against the longer wall. Moka stood in place with a confident grin as she easily overpowered him. "Know your place." She remarked smugly. Midou managed to get back up again from that attack, though even weaker than he was. 

"Damn vampire. Don't think you can talk over me like that." Midou retorted. "Don't think I came to this battle unprepared. I did my research on your kind. There's a lot of rumors as to what weakens a vampire. Most of them are utter bull, but I did manage to find you one Achilles heel. NOW!" He suddenly shouted. One of the boys turned a valve on the wall right below where Midou had impacted earlier. There was a sound of rattling that came from above. When Kaneki looked up it was already to late to warn her. The sprinkler system inside the warehouse activated and the whole area was covered by a light shower. 

"AHHHH!" Moka shouted in pain as she was covered from head to toe in her weakness. Water drained away her youkai power as if it was washing it away. It also delivered an electrical like shock through her body. Moka was severely weakened by the water which now covered the entire interior of the base. She fell to her knees, barely managing to hold herself up with only one hand while the other clutched her own body in pain. Midou let out a maniacal laugh as he watched Moka fall prey to their trap. 

"Do you like it?" He asked.  "A simple modified garden hose ran across the rafters. A bit modest, but still enough to do the trick vampire." Midou the delivered a powerful blow that sent Moka flying across the short width of the room. Kaneki noticed that she was unable to defend herself. Midou had pulled them both into a trap and planned to finish them off. By now his wounds had healed and Kaneki was back in the fight. He rushed in while Midou's back was turned. However, as he began to move he splashed the water around him which alerted Midou. The monstrel quickly turned and punched Kaneki right back into the trash wall. He collided with a crash into the barrier as Midou's power was too much. He fell back down to the ground, just as injured as before. "You just wait your turn. I'll kill you after the vampire." 

The rain suddenly stopped. The sprinkler system installed above them ceased and water no longer came down from above. "What's this?" Midou shouted as he noticed his set trap had failed all of the sudden. 

"Not so fast!" Kurumu exclaimed from the entrance. Everyone inside looked to see her along with Yukari and Mizore standing at the large entrance into the building. Though they were outnumbered, they all looked rather confident as they made their grand entrance into enemy territory. "Sorry, but Mizore-chan saw you guys heading off with Kaneki-kun and followed you back here. She's also the one that froze your water main." Kurumu let them in on. 

"I will not allow you to hurt my friends any longer." Mizore calmly declared. 

"You idiots, get out of here!" Moka shouted at them. 

"Tch, it's too late." Midou remarked. "The vampire is already too weakened from the water." He moved in and prepared for the kill. The other Newspaper Club members were too far away, and the members of ANTI-THESIS would not allow them to pass so easily. Kaneki was still slumped on the ground and could only watch as Midou was about to kill Moka. Flashbacks of the time with Ryouko and Hinami came into his mind. He also remembered the two sisters he failed to save at the Public Safety Committee headquarters. Both times he let other people die because he was too weak to do anything. Now it was happening all over again with one of the people he cared most about. Yet he was too weak to move. He needed to be stronger. If only he was stronger...

Midou rushed in and raised his arm to strike. "This is the end for you Akashiya Moka!" He shouted. 

"No, Moka!" Kurumu shouted from across the room. Midou struck straight down towards the injured Moka. There was a large cloud of dust from the impact that erupted from the earth. Midou noticed a flash of black from the corner of his eye a split second before his strike but did not know what happened. He looked down to find Akashiya Moka missing. He turned to look around the room and found her near her friends on the other side of their hideout. The same black flash had dropped her off a mere second after the impact. Midou also looked to see Kaneki was no longer in the same spot. He had now moved to Midou's left though he faced his back towards him. 

"What the hell? Did you do this eyepatch?" Midou asked. Kaneki was silent for a moment. He inhaled a deep breath before speaking. However, when he spoke his voice was hardly recognizable as it. It was now something far more sinister and inhuman.

" _A weak person can't protect anything._ " He said in his raspy and distorted voice. " _I will protect everyone by myself... I..._ " His whole body twitched erratically. Moka managed to get herself up onto only her knees now and she looked at him with horrific realization. 

"No... Kaneki, tell me you didn't." She condemned what she now could see was true. 

" _Myself, me, I... I..._ " He suddenly laughed maniacally. His back arched and he tilted back so that now all could see the mask on his face. Though it was not his normal mask. This one covered the left half of his face and had a large single kakugan in the center of his forehead. " _Ayato-kuuunn!_ " He now sang to himself. " _You're half dead, that is..._ " He laughed again in that same warped tone. " _Twist and pull five fingers with pliers, what's a thousand minus seven, minus seven, minus seven, minus seven, minus seven, minus seven._ " 

"No, it can't be." Yukari tried to deny it though she too knew exactly what was going on. 

"What is it? What happened to Kaneki-kun?" Kurumu asked. 

"He..." For Yukari it was hard to say it. She did not want o say it, but she could no longer deny it. "He's become a kakuja." Kurumu now stared at him with a horrified expression just the Yukari and Mizore now did. He was no longer the same kind boy they once knew, nor the violent side of him. He was a different creature entirely. He was a creature who had cannibalized his own kind in order to gain strength. A crime that most species saw as unforgivable. They did not want it to be true, they never imagined it would be. But the mad cackling proof was right before their very eyes. 

"Holy shit, he's insane." Midou commented with a smirk.

" _Minus seven, minus seven, minus seven, minus seven..._ " 

"Oh well." Midou now approached Kaneki. "Might as well put you out of your misery." Kaneki smiled from ear to ear with crooked delight. 

" _Then it won't be a problem if I eat you, right?_ " He asked. In a flash he disappeared from view. Midou stopped in his tracks, surprised with Kaneki's sudden burst of speed. Though not as surprised as when Kaneki reappeared behind. It was too late then. Midou turned to look back only to see a horrifying expression of delight and a kagune in the shape of a centipede tail coming at him. The pincer on the end of the tail caught him and instantly crushed him. There was an audible snap as several of his bones broke, including his spine. Midou fell to the ground face first and was unable to move. He could not pick himself up after that severe attack and was left face down in the dirt.

But that was not the end of it. Kaneki suddenly pinned him down from behind. With the same smile of a madman he plunged his hand into Midou's shoulder. "GYAAA!" Midou cried out in pain. Kaneki ripped out a chunk of flesh and instantly went to work. He devoured it while the still conscious Midou was helplessly trapped under him. Kaneki began to tear into him like a beast. He began to eat Midou alive. 

"GAH, HELP ME YOU FUCKS!" Midou screamed in both pain and fear. 

"Should we get him?" One of the ANTI-THESIS members asked.

"Fuck that, that guy is a psychopath." Another decided.

"Let's get out of here." A third cried out before fleeing. The other members all ran past the utterly shocked Newpaper Club who could simply watch as the last sliver of what was Kaneki disappeared. Midou howled in pain and cried out several times. Then after a few brief moments that seemed to drag on for hours, he ceased moving and perished. Once Kaneki had noticed that his prey was no longer responding, he gave up and stood up off the corpse of Midou. 

"Kaneki-kun?" Kurumu gently called to him. He now faced towards them. He was tense. His body would twitch randomly and his expression was kept in an agitated position. Kurumu was unsure of what she should do next. She did not know if his senses had returned yet, but... he would recognize her wouldn't he? He had to, how could he not? She opened her mouth to speak again but stopped when Moka extended her arm to block the other girl's path. 

"That is not Kaneki anymore." Moka told her. "He's nothing more than a mindless creature at this point." 

"What are you saying?" Kurumu shouted in retort. 

"I'm saying there is nothing more we can do for him. He has chosen his fate." The Inner Moka replied blatantly. She stepped forward to face the abomination once known as Kaneki. "Just look at yourself. What have you become?" Moka scolded him. "I warned you not to lose yourself in your search for power, now look at you. You've walked down a path none of us can save you from. I'm afraid i'm going to have to put you down." Kaneki snicked to himself. 

" _What am I?..._ " He asked. He was about to make his move and Moka knew it. She was going to attack first and stop him with a single blow. However, Moka was stopped when Kurumu grabbed onto her arm.

"No, stop! You can't hurt Kaneki-kun!" Kurumu pleaded. 

"What are you doing? Let go!" Moka demanded.

"No! If you hurt him i'll never forgive you!" 

"You fool! It's dangerous!" Moka shouted. She pushed Kurumu back just in time as Kaneki lunged. As she stumbled back Kurumu could see the wild look in Kaneki's eyes as he attacked like a rabid animal. 

" _I am a ghoul!_ " He declared. Moka wasableto react just in time. She spun and raised a leg, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick. Kurumu fell on her bottom and looked back at the fight. The scene she saw left no more doubt in her mind. 

"Do you see what I mean?" Moka asked. Kanekihad not been launched from her attack like Midou. Instead he latched on with one centipede kagune wrapped around her leg, and his mouth firmly dug into it. Blood dripped down from her leg onto the floor and trickled into his mouth. Kaneki looked delighted that he had caught her the way he did. There was a smile on his face as he bit down on her. Moka shook him off by spinning again and throwing him off her. Kaneki rolled backwards and ended up crouch down on the ground, facing off with Moka once more. "Are you proud of yourself now? Look at what you've done." She raised her leg to show him the bite wound. Teeth marks leaked out a blood that soaked her leg around the area and dripped down her leg. 

" _M-Moka..._ " He managed to say. " _I hurt... Moka... GAAAA!_ "He suddenly clenched up and crouched down, clutching at his own head. His dual centipede kagune thrashed around a bit before retracting back into his body. The mask on his face began to chip off as he returned to his normal state. "I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY-" He repeated this over and over again as the mask broke apart into pieces and he was finally returned back to his old self. Releif began to overflow through his friends who watched Kaneki return from the edge. 

"He's ok!" Yukari shouted with delight. 

"Kaneki-kun!" Kurumu called out as she went to rush to his side.

"NO!" He shouted, halting her in her tracks. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Kurumu stared at him with shock and hurt as he told her that. Tears began to flow down his face as he was hunched over on the ground like that. He balled up his fists and kept himself off the ground using his elbows. "I'm so fucked up." 

"Your decision to cannibalize ghouls was your own decision. You must learn to deal with your choices now." Moka lectured him. "However, you also bit me. That is something I will not allow." She kicked him in the jaw and sent him flying back towards a wall. He crashed against it hard and slumped to the ground. "Know your place!" Kaneki slowly began to shut his eyes as his consciousness faded. The last thing he saw was Kurumu rushing over to his side and calling out his name while Moka stared down at him with disappointment. Then everything went black and he passed out. 


	20. What have I become?

Moka was seated at a bed in the school infirmary while her leg was being bandaged up. She was now returned to her normal form with the rosary reattached to her neck. She was joined by Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore in the room as her wounds were being treated. She was joined by her friends Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari in that room. They carried an unconscious Kaneki to the infirmary with them. He was sent to a different room while Moka's injury was bandaged. The nurse who had patched Moka up was a young adult woman with long light brown hair and teal eyes. She had worked quickly in healing Moka, and within minutes Moka's leg was bandaged around the wound with medical precision. 

"There we go, you're all patched up." The nurse announced after finishing her job. 

"Thank you very much." Moka thanked her. "By the way, do you know what happened to the boy we came in with?" 

"Yes, because of his species he was able to heal completely before the doctor even got there. He's been released already." The nurse informed her. "You should be fine as well now. Just take it easy for the next few days." There was a rasp on the open door as a blonde nurse with cerulean eyes joined them.

"Yakumaru-san, the doctor needs you down the hall." The other nurse stated. 

"I"ll be right there." The nurse, Yakumaru Mako, replied. "Well, I have to go. Duty calls. You just take it easy for awhile." Mako reminded her before leaving them. Now Moka and her friends remained there alone with the ok to leave as Moka too should heal quickly. 

"So how are you feeling?" Kurumu asked. 

"Better, I should be ok to walk." Moka replied. She got off the infirmary bed and stood on her own legs once more. She did feel a bit of pain but it did not show. "I'm going to get something to drink. I'll be right back." She told her friends. She exited the room alone and headed down the hall to the vending machine.  She was planning on buying a can of tomato juice for herself, as many vendor machines across the campus held tomato juice for those species who feasted on blood. On her way there, she encountered Kaneki in the hallway. He was facing away from her, slowly making his way down the hall in the same direction. "Kaneki-kun!" Moka called out to him. He stopped in his tracks after hearing his name. He turned around to face her, though he was not the same. 

Normally he would smile whenever he saw her. This time however his expression was more sullen and morose. His usual look was replaced with a more melancholic one. Moka noticed this instantly and it unsettled her. However, she decided to ignore it for the time being and instead start a conversation with him. "I'm glad to see you're alright. The nurse said you had healed yourself up already." He was silent, staring back at her without response. "What is it? Is something wrong?" She asked him.

"Moka..." He spoke with a tone of sadness. "It's because of me that you were hurt. You should just stay away from me from now on." Her face turned white as she heard him say those words.

"What... what are you saying?" She asked, now horrified. 

"I just need to be alone for awhile." He told her. "I can't be around you or the others after what i've done." 

"But-" She tried to plea.

"I'm sorry Moka. But I made the decision to become this. So I have to deal with it." He turned away from her once more. "Take care of yourself Moka." He told her before walking away. Moka stood there watched silently as he left. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to beg, plead with him not to leave her. Yet nothing escaped her mouth. She mereley watched as he left her right then and there. She hung her head low as he turned a corner and disappeared from her sight. She turned around and returned back to her room, no longer in the mood for a drink.

* * *

Mako strolled through the halls of the school infirmary with a sense of duty. She had the appearance of someone who took pride in her duties. As a nurse at the school infirmary, that was something one could be proud of. It was her duty to help injured or sicks students when needed. Though it would be more of a mundane job at a normal high school, Youkai Academy was anything but normal. All of the nurses there had seen their fair share of near fatal injuries and serious battle scars. A reason why Mako looked so attentive. However, looks could be deceiving. 

"Hello Mako-san." A boy called out from behind her. She stopped and turned to see a boy with short cut dark blonde hair leaning against the wall with a book in his hands. He promptly closed the black book before looking at her with a mismatched pair of eyes. His left eye was yellow and had a slit pupil, while his right eye was red and the pupil was a sideways line. 

"Kiria-san, what are you doing here?" Mako asked. 

"A bit of recon." He answers calmly. "You saw them right, the ones that beat Midou? What did you make of them." 

"They're nothing much, just a pack of weaklings." She answered with a smirk. "The one exception is the vampire, Akashiya Moka. Purebred elitist scum who hides her true self behind a rosary. I plan to off her as soon as possible."

"What about the ghoul, Kaneki Ken?" Kiria asked. 

"What about him? He healed up before we could treat him so I didn't see him as much, but he's mentally defeated. I doubt he's any more of a threat than the other useless ones." 

"That's where you'd be wrong. He's the ones who killed Midou." Kiria clarified. "By eating him alive." Mako actually looked a bit shocked at hearing that. Both by the fact that it was Kaneki who had defeated one of their gangs and the brutality with which he had done it. 

"Well if that's true then he might be even more dangerous. Perhaps i'll deal with him first instead." Mako suggested. 

"No, don't bother. The boss want to meet him and see if he can be persuaded into allying with us." Kiria told her. "Instead deal with the vampire and her friends. They must pay the price for challenging us." 

"Speaking of, what did you do with those cowards in Midou's group?" Mako asked. 

"Why I killed them of course. In a single attack I wiped them all out." He replied with satisfaction. Mako cackled at their demise. 

"Good a bunch of cowards like them are useless. Just leave Akashiya and the others to me. You can do what you want with Kaneki." Kiria nodded before walking off with his small book tucked under his arm. He would let Mako do her work and clear out the threats to their organization. Mako walked off and headed back to the room where Moka was previously in so that she could finish what Midou started.

* * *

"What do you mean he just left?!" Kurumu demanded, standing up directly in front of Moka who now sat on the bed once more. 

"He said that it was his fault that he became a kakuja and hurting me. Then he just walked off." Moka explained, her tone sullen and dismal. Kurumu clenched her fists at her side and glared at Moka. 

"This is all your fault!" She scolded the vampire. Moka gave her a look of shock after being told that. "It's because you hit him so hard that he ran off. He thinks you hate him!" 

"But that was my other self, I didn't do that!" Moka defended. 

"It doesn't matter, the fact is you still kicked him after he returned back to normal. You did this!" Kurumu accused her. Moka felt almost just as hurt by her words as when Kaneki left. Before Kurumu could continue any further, she was suddenly frozen in a block of ice. Moka and Yukari both gawked with surprised expressions at the now frozen succubus. 

"You're too hot headed." Mizore remarked. She then thawed out Kurumu, who fell to the ground and landed on her rear. 

"Hey, what was that for?!" Kurumu shouted back at Mizore. 

"You need to stop causing a commotion. The last thing we need to be doing right now is pointing fingers and blaming one another." Mizore explained.

"Then just what should we do, huh?" Kurumu asked. 

"Right now the only person Kaneki-kun blames is himself." Mizore elaborated. "He thinks that he's a danger to us and that if he hangs around us any more he may end up hurting someone dear to him again. We need to just give him some time then let him know we don't blame him and that we truly care about him."Kurumu pouted at Mizore. She wanted to defy the yuki-onna. Kurumu wanted to act, she couldn't stand just waiting around. Not after last time. Still she did't argue. She turned away and headed for the door. 

"I need some air." Kurumu stated before walking out  of the room. Her friends watched her as she went, deciding it was best not to agitate her any further. 

"Do you really think he will listen to us Mizore-chan?" Moka asked, sounding a bit worrisome. 

"I do." Mizore confirmed with a small nod. "No one simply chooses to be alone, trust me." 

Moka hung her head low, upset with the situation though she knew Mizore was right. She was handling it better than Kurumu, however she was still displeased with it all. She wanted him back. Moka wanted Kaneki to know that everything was ok and that it wasn't his fault. No one blamed him except for himself, which pained her that he was being so hard on himself. It hurt her to see him in that state. She cared for him and wanted him to be his old self. Yet now she had to wait until he was ready to join them once more. 

A few moments later, Kurumu walked back into the room. She stood there just past the doorway and remained silent. "Back already Kurumu-chan?" Moka asked. There was no response. Kurumu simply stared at Moka with blank and empty eyes. This concerned Moka, who stood up and approached her friend. "Hey, what's wrong Kurumu-chan?" Moka asked. Again, there was no verbal response. Instead Kurumu raised her right arm and extended her claws. Moka was rather surprised but managed to just barely evade Kurumu's attack. The other two girls stood up in response. 

"What on earth are you doing?" Mizore scolded her. Kurumu ignored her. She instead moved closer to Moka to continue her attack. Moka managed to get onto her knees but was unable to avoid the next attack. Kurumu swung but connected with a pillar of ice that blocked her strike. Kurumu cut into it only partially and her claws got stuck in the ice. "Stop this! Why are you doing this?" Mizore demanded. 

_Bonk!_

A large iron pot suddenly dropped down from directly above Kurumu's head and crashed against her skull. She fell to the floor along with that metal pot which clattered against the floor of the infirmary. Yukari's wand was still raised after casting the spell. Kurumu stirred on the ground. She raised her head and blinked her eyes. "Huh, why am I on the floor?" She wondered aloud. 

"You got put there because you attacked Moka-san!" Yukari shouted at her. Kurumu looked over to her with confusion. 

"What? What are you talking about?" Kurumu asked. 

"It's true. You came back in and suddenly started swinging at me." Moka informed her. Kurumu now looked shocked. She got onto her knees and rubbed her head, which was now aching for a reason she also did not know. 

"I... I can't remember anything." Kurumu stated. "I remember walking out of the room and that's it." 

"Are you saying you really don't remember attacking me just now?" Moka asked to clarify. Kurumu nodded honestly. Moka slowly approached her. 

"Maybe we should get you a doctor." Moka suggested. Kurumu nodded. 

"I'm sorry." She apologized, even though she knew nothing of her own actions. Moka helped her up and got her back on her feet. Kurumu rubbed the sore spot on her head as her friends led her outside the infirmary room. When they stepped outside they found Mako already out there, walking away and preparing to turn the corner. 

"Nurse Mako!" Moka called out. Mako stopped and turned back to the group of them. Mako turned around and approached the students. "Nurse Mako, out friend isn't feeling well." 

"Oh, what seems to be the problem?" Mako asked. 

"Our friend Kurumu suddenly attacked me out of nowhere, and she doesn't remember doing it." Moka informed the nurse. 

"Is that so?" Mako asked. "I see now... you were too weak to do even one simple task." Her tone suddenly shifted, shocking the other girls. "You couldn't even kill just one person, and she's not even in her true form. I gave you one simple job and yet you failed." He face suddenly shifted into a twisted expression of revolt. "The fact that you even exit disgusts me. People as weak as you should be wiped from the earth." 

"You... you were behind this?" Moka asked, now in a state of panic. 

Mako grinned evilly and transformed her right hand. Her fingers became longer and sharp like blades. "That's right. My fingers are like hypodermic needles. I can inject a drug into my victims that makes them do whatever I command. I was going to have your friend finish you off, but..." She pointed her mutated finger towards Moka. "I think now i'll just have you all off yourselves instead." She let out a mad laugh of delight. Pleased to show her strength and rid the world of those who she saw as unworthy. "Die."

She extended her finger out towards Moka. It moved like a striking snake through the air towards her, who was too slow to react in her current form. She was saved once more that day when a red tentacle like appendage came out of nowhere and deflected the strike. Mako looked surprised to see an unknown entity intervene. She saw the perpetrator when he suddenly appeared right in front of her. Kaneki had moved too fast for her to track and was already upon her, a look of hate burning in his eyes. He sent out two parts of his kagune that stabbed her on eitehr side of her stomach. Mako hacked up blood and was hoisted into the air. 

"So, you're a part of ANTI-THESIS too then?" Kaneki asked. He cracked his index finger using his thumb. "Tell me, who are your leaders? Where can I find them?"

"S-screw you." Mako managed to retort. She extended her middle finger the same way as the otehr and launched it at Kaneki. He dodged it by simply tilting his head to the side. The other rinkaku limbs stabbed into her shoulders, causing her even more pain than before. Though this time she had only winced at it. 

"Are you not going to tell me anything then?" Kaneki asked. 

"Fuck... you." She managed to curse. 

"Fine." Kaneki replied. He then pulled outwards on her with his rinkaku. Pulling her body in all different directions. Within seconds, he ripped Mako into four very large bloody pieces. Blood splattered in all directions as she was savagely torn into pieces. There were red stains along the walls and floor of the hall, as well as some that had splattered onto Kaneki. His expression did not change, he simply stared at her ravaged corpse with a look of boredom. HE retracted his kagune which released the four pieces of Mako before returning back into his body. He turned around to face his friends, who were all horrified to see the level of brutality with which he had executed the nurse. "I'm sorry you had to see that." He apologized to them in a dull tone of voice. 

"No, you saved us." Moka replied. "But, did you really have to kill her like that?" She asked. 

"If i've become a monster, then I might as well act the part." He replied drearily as he walked past her and the rest of his club. "That's why I want all of you to stay away from me from now on." He walked past them, deciding it was best to leave so that he wouldn't hurt them. He had already hurt Moka when he lost control of himself, which meant he could do it again. Though it pained him, he knew it was for the best. That would have been the last thing he would have said to them if Moka hand lunged out and grabbed onto him right then and there. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held onto him tight, refusing to let him go. 

"Don't go!" She pleaded. "Please don't leave." 

"But Moka-chan, you're leg." He reminded her in a melancholic tone. 

"I don't care!" She cried out. "If it wasn't for you I would have been dead by now. You saved my life Kaneki-kun, so please..." She held onto him just a bit tighter. "Don't go." 

"But what if I hurt you again?" He asked. 

"It doesn't matter." Yukari spoke up. "You've always been there for us and we all appreciate that. We won't always have good times, there will be bad times as well. What matters is that we stay together, desu!" 

"Why aren't you guys mad at me?" Kaneki questioned them. "Blame me, yell at me, curse me. That would make more sense." 

"Are you and idiot?" Kurumu scolded. "No one here blames you but you. So stop with this self pity already and just come back to us." 

"You mean you're really not angry with me?" Kaneki now turned to face them, even as Moka still clutched onto him. 

"Not at all. In fact we'd only be upset if you left us." Mizore told him. "You told me once that I wouldn't have to be alone anymore because you would be there for me. Now it's time for me to return to favor. I won't let you be alone either. None of us will." Kaneki hung his head down as he thought about their words. He was the only one who thought it was hit fault. No one wanted him to leave, they wanted him to stay with them. Realizing this sent a flutter of emotion through him. He was relieved that they did not hate him for his actions. He was glad that he didn't have to be alone. He wrapped his arms around Moka in return to her own hug. 

"Moka-chan, everyone..." He said softly. "Thank you." He smiled, happy because he had friends who were so true to him. People who actually cared about him as much as he did them. He was happy there, embracing Moka and feeling her warmth. That was until she was frozen in ice and fell to the ground. Kaneki looked rather shocked as Mizore had suddenly frozen Moka in the middle of their tender moment. 

"You're getting too close to him." Mizore commented. Kaneki sighed, though he did not let her know he was secretly glad to see their usual antics again. 


	21. The Committee President

When one attends school, one thing that always causes a certain amount of fear is being called into the principal's office. Normally this is due to a fear of the unknown. One might suspect that they are in trouble if called to the principal's office. They may have done something wrong enough for them to receive a scolding from the head of the school. Youkai Academy was not a normal school however, and generally did not do such things. This made Kaneki all the more nervous when he was summoned to the chairman's office. He was currently surrounded by several men in black suits and hats. He was alone without any of his friends, which made the even even more unsettling. 

"Kaneki Ken, the Chairman requests your presence at his place of residence." One of the suits informed him. "Come with us." He ordered. Kaneki decided to listen to them and was escorted to the Chairman's mansion at a secluded spot on the school grounds. The Chairman's private estate was a large mansion that retained the same Gothic look as the school itself. Though the exterior of the mansion appeared to be much more worn and decayed. Appearing as if it was otherwise uninhabited. Once inside however, the decor was much more lavish and finely decorated. The floor of the large foyer was a fine marble, with dark wooden stairs leading up to an overlook area on the second floor. Standing there observing from over the railing was a man dressed in white priest robes and a white hood that covered his face, save for two glowing eyes that pierced through the air. He was the Chairman of Youkai Academy who had given Kaneki the scholarship to attend. 

"Thank you gentlemen, you may leave us." The Chairman ordered. "Greetings Kaneki Ken. Please, come to my office." 

Kaneki ended up following the Chairman through a few halls and into the Chairman's private office. The walls were decorated with a dark grey wallpaper than gave the room a dim feel to it. The Chairman sat on the far side of his large and decorated wooden desk while Kaneki sat on the opposite side from him with his hands on his knees and a nervous aura about him. "So, how have you been enjoying your stay at Youkai Academy so far?" The Chairman asked.

"Fine, sir." Kaneki replied plainly. "Am I in trouble?" He asked, getting straight to the point.

"No no, far from it." The Chairman dismissed his worries with a wave of the hand. "You should know by now we do not operate like most schools. You are not here because you are in trouble for anything. In fact your killing of Saizou was merely an act of self-defense." 

"You know about that?" Kaneki was surprised that he had known the details of what had occurred with ANTI-THESIS. 

"Yes, it is my job to know what goes on in my school." The Chairman answered. "Which brings me to why I called you here. I am aware of the transformation you have undergone during your time away from this academy." Kaneki lowered his head slightly. "I am well informed about your kind, both ghouls and the one-eyed kind alike. So I thought I should inform you about what exactly is going on with your body." 

"You know about one-eyed ghouls?" Kaneki was surprised to hear that too. Many on campus did not even know what he was, so it was shocking to hear that someone else knew more about his psychology than he did.

"That's right. I may not look it but I am in fact over 600 years old. I've seen plenty in my life time and know of many things. I know of what exactly happened on that afternoon during your battle with ANTI-THESIS. Your transformation during this fight however was not complete. In fact it would be more appropriate to call that form a half-kakuja. You were not yet fully a kakuja. Though you are lucky in that regard as it seemed your body rejected the change. That is why as a result your mind was split and you acted they way you did. Your entire body was rejecting the change that was occurring, including your brain. Which means that you should not attempt to go back into that form again. You were lucky this time, but if you continue to use your kakuja form then you will no longer be able to revert to your normal self and you will lose yourself completely."

This news hit Kaneki hard. The blunt truth was he could not continue to use his kakuja abilities. Continuing to do so would result in him becoming nothing more than a savage mindless killer. He would truly become a monster. No one would be able to save him then. He had to be careful, he had to make sure to never turn into his kakuja form again. Doing so would put not only him but his friends in danger as well. He would not be able to stop himself from hurting them if he turned again. He had to have control, he had to keep himself in check. 

"That being said..." The Chairman continued. "I do appreciate your help in dealing with ANTI-THESIS. I would like to ask you to continue in dealing with them as a threat to Youkai Academy." 

"So you want me to go against them of my will?" Kaneki asked to clarify.

"Correct, though I do not believe you will have much choice in the matter. You have already stirred the hornet's nest, and as a result they will come after you. Surely you must see that by now." 

He was right. The past few days had been him dealing with ANTI-THESIS. There was Saizou's attack that started it all, then Midou's trap, and Mako at the infirmary. ANTI-THESIS was indeed going after him, and they were being rather aggressive about it. They had launched three offenses in only two days. There were two things to take from this. One, they were absoluteness out to get Kaneki and most likely his friends as well. Two, they were very obstinate and resolute in their attacks. They were a serious threat to him now, whether he liked it or not. 

Yet he was just one person. Even though he was the second best fighter among their club, bested only by the vampiric Moka, he still was not indestructible. In fact there were two great threats to him, ANTI-THESIS and himself. ANTI-THESIS was a far larger group than the Newspaper Club, made up of many powerful hybrid youkai. Kaneki was equally a threat however, as his new kakuja form could take control of him and cause him to go berserk. He would become a threat not only to himself but anyone nearby. He had to be careful not to lose himself when ANTI-THESIS made their next move. 

"So then I must deal with ANTI-THESIS, and you want them gone of course. So this just happens to work out well for you." Kaneki deduced.

"Indeed, I am in fact gaining from this. I won't deny that." The Chairman replied. "Though if nothing else know you do have my gratitude for dealing with this unruly bunch."

To Kaneki that did not mean much. He was almost expecting to get something out of this deal. However in the end he was left empty handed while he practically did the Chairman's work. "Thank you Chairman-sama." He responded just to be polite. "But I must be going. I have to attend the first meeting for the school festival." 

"There is one last thing." The Chairman revealed. "I have reason to believe there is a mole among the committee that is organizing our school festival. Be careful Kaneki Ken." He warned the student before allowing him to leave. With that he motioned for Kaneki to depart and he did, heading out to the first meeting of the school festival organization committee. 

* * *

Kaneki arrived at a building that looked like a Gothic house. This house too looked abandoned, much like the Chairman's private estate. The windows were partially boarded up, though it was only partial because many of the boards had fallen off. The pain was severely peeling and at this point there seemed to be less than half of the original paint job left. The roof was missing several shingles in many locations all along. It definitely looked like it belonged on the school's grounds as it gave off the same eerie vibe as the rest of the buildings. There was a sign out front that read "Festival Planning Committee Headquarters". It was staked into the ground jut outside of the steps that led up to the porch of the building. It was the right spot.

Kaneki stared at the decrepit building and thought about the Chairman's warning. ANTI-THESIS had a mole planted on that committee. Whoever they were would be likely to make a move against Kaneki at some point. He had to figure out who it was and get to them before they got to him. Otherwise the results could be disastrous. Kaneki felt the presence of someone approaching from behind. He turned to see another student standing behind him. He was dressed in a black track suit and was much taller than Kaneki. Kaneki's eye's did not even reach the center of the other boy's chest. Kaneki had to look up to see the face of this student, who's dark brown hair was kept in a short cut. His eyes were also a dark brown and he wore glasses over them. Kaneki was surprised with how tall the other student was. 

"You are Kaneki Ken, correct?" The other student asked. "Class representative from Nekonome-sensei's class, correct?" 

"Yes." Kaneki answered plainly, waiting to see the other boy's reaction. 

"I have been informed that are part of the festival planning committee this year." The boy stated as he fixed his glasses. "Welcome Kaneki Ken." He greeted the newest member with a smile. "I am president of the committee Kaneshiro Hokuto. It is nice to meet you Kaneki-kun." Kaneki smiled back, thinking that the committee president actually seemed very nice. 

"Nice to meet you too Hokuto-senpai." Kaneki replied. 

"I hope you will find your time here enjoyable. After all, you will be spending a lot of your time here in preparation for the festival." Hokuto informed him. The two of them then entered the decrepit building together. Hokuto led Kaneki to the meeting room upstairs where the other members were already waiting. The members of the committee sat at a ring shaped table that was open in the middle. They came in all different shapes and sizes. One boy looked taller and with white hair like Kaneki though it was more unkept. He also had a disagreeable expression. There were three other male students on the committee, one smaller and more crouching on his chair with a wide grin. The other was tall and lanky, seeming to more like a twig than anything. The last boy had shoulder length black hair and a toothy grin that gave off a more cheerful vibe. There was one female student on the committee, she had blonde hair kept up in twintails on either side of her head, which was currently rested on her arms on the table as she seemed to be rather bored. 

Once Hokuto had stepped into the room however, they all rose at once. "Thank you for your hard work Mr. President." They thanked him all at once. Kaneki was surprised to see such an unlikely bunch so in sync and well organized. They all also seemed to show Houkto a great deal of appreciation as their leader. He smiled at them before speaking. 

"Please, everyone, take a seat." He told them all. They all sat down and Kaneki ended up sitting between the boy with the toothy grin and the single female on the committee. Hokuto sat near the door and began to first meeting for the school festival. 

"Hokuto-san is a great president, isn't he?" The boy next to Kaneki asked. Kaneki turned his attention to the student next to him. "He's been our president for the last two years now. This is his last year though as he is a fourth year student." The black haired  boy informed Kaneki. 

"Before we get to business there is something very important I would like to discuss." Hokuto announced through the room. "I know the group ANTI-THESIS is becoming a serious problem at this school and something many are afraid of. But we can't let them win! I believe that if we work together we can defeat ANTI-THESIS and return peace to this school." Everyone began applauding him after that. The whole committee was impressed with Hokuto determination to fight back against ANTI-THESIS. Even Kaneki, who was clapping along with everyone else. He too was impressed with Hokuto. He believed that the committee president truly wanted to be rid of the gang of half-breed youkai that were running rampant through the school. He truly wanted to help. Kaneki now wanted to find this mole more than ever, for his sake as well as Hokuto's.

* * *

The meetings itself was fairly routine after that point. Hokuto discussed the goals of the committee as well as what would be excepted of them as a collective. They were in charge of every little detail and all the careful planning to make this year's school festival a success. Hokuto already had two years experience in doing so, which made everyone sure that he would lead them successfully once more. He was strong willed and a natural leader. He spoke in ways which reached out to them and motivated them. He was also bright and excellent at planning and strategy. Kaneki was very impressed with Hokuto as a leader and could see why everyone respected him so much. Though he knew one of them was faking it. Someone there was a mole for ANTI-THESIS who would no doubt label Hokuto as a threat. 

Though Kaneki had no idea on how to find this mole. In fact he had gone through the whole meeting without doing much other than listening to Hokuto. He was now on his way back to his dorm, walking alone through a dirt field on the school grounds. It was a small clearing within the morose forest that surrounded Youkai Academy. Kaneki was deep in thought on how to find the mole within the committee. He could try sniffing them out more literally, though he did not think his own sense of smell was as acute as Moka's so that he could pinpoint individual species. It also would not be a very discreet way and would no doubt draw attention to him. 

He was certainly in a conundrum. The mole within the committee was sure to be watching him as well. This meant the mole was already one step ahead of him, which was troublesome as well. He had to work fast and deal with the issue or else the consequences could be dire. Indeed, Kaneki felt as if there was no rest for the wicked.

"Hey there." A familiar voice called to Kaneki. He turned around to see the student with black hair from earlier approaching him while waving and continuing to grin. 

"You were at the meeting earlier." Kaneki remembered aloud. 

"That's right. My name is Ueshiba Mizuki." The boy introduced himself. "Nice to meet you." 

"What are you doing here though Mizuki-san?" Kaneki asked. 

"Words has spread around fast about your ordeal with ANTI-THESIS." Mizuki informed him. "Just wanted to make sure you were alright walking alone." 

"I am, thanks for asking." Kaneki replied. "I'm not afraid of dealing with them if I have to."

"Well that's good. I suppose i'll be seeing you around." Mizuki waved goodbye as he started to walk off. "Good luck with finding their mole too." Kaneki began to walk off in the other direction but suddenly stopped in his tracks. He had come to realize something then and there. 

"Wait a minute." Kaneki suddenly spoke those words and everything went silent. The two boys stood a couple meters apart from each other with their backs turned. The air thickened with tension as Kaneki had a revelation. "How did you know there was a mole in the committee? Only the chairman knew about it. So how do you know?" Kaneki turned to confront him only to find that Mizuki was now missing. He looked around the field yet found no signs of Mizuki. It was as if he had simply vanished into thin air.

"Who are you talking to Kaneki-kun?" Kurumu's voice called to him. He turned to his left to see her approaching with Mizore. The two girls had suddenly appeared out of the edge of the forest just as Mizuki had vanished. A very strange incident indeed. 

"Kurumu-chan, Mizore-chan, what are you two doing here?" He questioned them.

"We heard about the chairman sending you to find a mole in the festival planning committee." Kurumu told him. "We just won't allow you to be used as bait like that!" 

"We're going to help you find that mole too, and pound them into the ground." Mizore added, transforming her right hand into its clawed form. 

"Don't worry you guys, i'm fine." He reassured them with a slight grin. Amused by their antics of rushing in headfirst just to help him. "Besides, I think I already know who it is. It's..." The ground suddenly shook below them which interrupted Kaneki. A hand suddenly emerged from the dirt and grabbed Kaneki at the ankle. A long face protruded from the dirt with a familiar grin on the face of the creature. 

"You're too late!" Mizuki shouted as he grabbed Kaneki. "You'll find out i'm a mole in more than one way." He suddenly pulled Kaneki down and dragged him into the dirt. Kaneki vanished fro sight as Mizuki dragged him under, much like a shark dragging it's prey under the water. Kaneki was dragged deep underground as Kurumu and Mizore watched. 

"No!" Mizore shouted. She tried to run towards him but was pulled back by Kurumu. The succubus spread her wings and flew into the air with Mizore, getting out of Mizuki's range. The half-breed youkai poked his head out from the ground and continued to grin. 

"I'm impressed, you managed to get away quickly so that I wouldn't drag you down too. You must have learned much from him." Mizuki complimented her reactions. "But it's too late. I've already dragged him into the depths of the ground. Now he'll suffocate down there and you'll never see him again. But don't worry. Soon you'll join him!" Mizuki picked up a large chunk of dirt and tossed it into the sky towards Kurumu. She dodged the attack and the dirtball sailed through the air past her. 

"Damn you!" Kurumu cursed at him. "Mizore, let's work together to take this guy and save Kaneki." 

"Right." Mizore agreed. 

Mizuki grinned down below. He grabbed another clump of dirt and prepared for a ground to air battle. Then suddenly he felt something grab his ankle. Something from down in the earth gave him a hard tug and caused him to lose focus. He struggled to keep himself above ground as some unknown force was now reversing the role and dragging him down under. Mizuki tried to comprehend what on earth could be doing this to him. There was no way it could be Kaneki, he must have been too weak. Mizuki dragged him down so easy that there was no way it could have been him. Then low and behold a large centipede tail emerged from the ground. Mizuki had already been informed by Kiria as to what that meant and knew what came next. Kaneki emerged from the ground, a wicked grin on his face along with a mask. This time the kakuja mask covered most of his face, save for his mouth and chin. This mask had a large single kakugan in the center of his face, and a beak like protrusion that extended down. 

Kaneki ripped Mizuki up from the ground using his second centipede shaped kagune. Mizuki was tossed up into the air as Kaneki had freed himself and now stood on the surface of the ground once more. " _They failed in sending you._ " Kaneki's raspy centipede voice mocked Mizuki. " _Die!_ " Kaneki's two kakuja kagune shot up into the air and began to rapidly cut Mizuki. First in half, slicing him at the waist and doing enough to kill him then and there. But Kaneki didn't stop. He then cut off one of Mizuki's arms, then severed both his legs. Then he cut Mizuki's head off his severed torso and cut the torso in half vertically. Blood rained down on Kaneki who laughed manically as he savagely tore Mizuki apart. The mutilated pieces fell all around him, splattering even more blood across the horrific scene. Kurumu landed on the ground nearby with Mizore. Both girls approached cautiously. 

"Kaneki-kun." Kurumu called to him softly. He instantly snapped his focus on her. His single large eye staring right through her. "Do you... remember us?" She asked. He did not respond. Instead he simply continued to stare at her eerily. "Please Kankei, remember us... we're you're friends." Kurumu held out her hand towards him, a gesture for him to return. But it was no use. Kaneki laughed to himself, as if what she had said was some sort of joke. His twisted and maniacal voice made it all the more menacing. In the next instant he lunged at them at break neck speeds. It was clear he had one simple intention, kill. He was moving too fast for either girl to do anything as his speed far greater than either of theirs. 

They would have died right then and there had it not been for someone's intervention. Just as Kaneki had closed in on them the chairman had suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He got between the two girls and Kaneki before he could attack. The chairmain raised one arm and caught Kaneki's forehead in his grasp. Kaneki was caught in his trap. There was a powerful surge of youkai energy released from the chairman. A circle of crosses made of a blue energy surrounded the two of them as the chairman preformed a sealing spell. The wave of youkai energy suddenly dispersed as the spell was complete. Kaneki froze in place as the chairman removed his hand. The boy's kakuja mask dissolved away and he was left standing there mid-lunge with a blank expression. He then slowly began to fall face forward before landing on the ground unconscious. The two girls were left speechless and trying to comprehend what had just happened. The chairman simply grinned to himself and said "Well I think that's enough excitement for one day. Far more than the usual around here."


	22. What's Most Important

When Kaneki came to again he was back in his room now lying on his bed. He sprung up and looked around his room, wondering how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was being dragged underground by Mizuki. He knew Mizore and Kurumu were nearby and that they would be in danger too.Then he started to lose control. He could feel the dark monstrosity lurking within him starting to dark over. Then everything went black and he now found himself back in his room.  He had no doubt that he had lost control and has one more turned to his kakuja form.

He hoped that Kurumu and Mizore were safe. He had no idea what had happened to them, Mizuki, or himself after he had transformed. Whenever he would go into his kakuja form he would black out. There were gaps in his memory at those points, everything would go blank before he ended up waking up somewhere else. If he was in his room then he hoped that it meant someone stopped him and put him back there. However, he doubted that Mizore and Kurumu could have stopped him in that form, even if they worked together. That would mean someone else had to intervene and stop him. He also thought it unlikely that they could talk him down in that form after what he had been told about what he did in that form. So then what exactly had happened and who put him in his room?

"I see you're awake." His answers said from a corner of the room. Kaneki turned his attention to said corner to see a man clad in white standing in the corner of the unlit room. His two glowing eyes piercing through the darkness. Kaneki jolted on his bed in surprise. 

"Chairman-sama?" He asked. 

"Indeed." The Chairman replied as he took a couple steps out of the darkness. "How are you feeling?" 

"Chairman-sama, what happened?" Kaneki asked. 

"Ah, well you did as I asked and found the mole within the committee. Though i'm sure you must be aware of that much by now." The Chairman answered. "What you truly want to know is what happened after you turned into a kakuja again. After your transformation you managed to free yourself from the earth and proceeded to deal with Ueshiba. Rather brutally too I might add. After that in your berserk state you made an attempt to attack your friends. That is when I intervened and used a sealing spell to seal your kakuja form away. If seemed the sudden change caused you to pass out it would seem. I returend you here to your dorm and waited for you to awake to make sure you were alright and fill you in." 

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Kaneki replied. "Does Hokuto-senpai know about Mizuki?"

"Indeed, I made sure that he was to be informed of it." The Chairman replied. "He sends his regards in hopes that you get better, as well as his thanks for removing the mole ANTI-THESIS had planted." The Chairman told him. "Now you and I are even Kaneki Ken."

"Even?"

"Yes. I asked you to find the mole and you did. In return I saved you and your friends."

"You really don't beat around the bush, do you?" Kaneki remarked with a smirk.

"I do sometimes." He replied with a grin of his own. "I suppose I should be going now. You should probably get some rest before your classes start tomorrow." The Chairman headed for the door to depart. Through right as he reached the door he stopped in his tracks. "Though there is one more thing." He announced. He turned back to Kaneki, who could see the seriousness on the Chairman's face. "If you use your kakuja form one more time not even I will be able to bring you back. Keep that in mind." With that he pivoted back towards the door and departed the room. Leaving Kaneki with that final and grave warning.

* * *

A few days later following that days classes, Kaneki was with the rest of the festival planning committee. They were currently surveying the school and it's nearby grounds in order to better plan the setup and location of registered vendors and stations. The preparations for the upcoming festival were moving along splendidly. The committee was doing first-rate work under Hokuto's leadership. He was a natural born leader. It was evident with the way he handled the festival planning committee. No one else in the whole school could handle the duties of running the committee like Hokuto.

Kaneki had come to greatly respect Hokuto in the last few days. The committee chairman practically radiated charisma, though his height was a bit off putting at first. Hokuto had shown that he cared deeply for the students of Youkai Academy and their well being. He was brave enough to publicly call out ANTI-THESIS and nearly declare war on them. Most students were too afraid to even utter their name, much less stand up to them. Truly Hokuto was an ally whom Kaneki had come to trust in only a few days. He truly believed that with the help from the president that they could stop the militant threat to the students of the school. 

However, they were not gathered as a council of war. They were there in order to organize a festival. The school festival was a special event that was held every year at Youkai Academy. It was supposed to be a time of peace and celebration among the students. Where they would all let loose their worries of school and life at Youkai Academy and instead celebrate for several days. However, ANTI-THESIS now sought to bring all of that to an abrupt halt. They threatened any purebred youkai at the school and attempted to rule over the entire student body. They had made the Newspaper Club their prime target as Moka was a purebred vampire, one of the most elitist races of youkai. Kaneki had stood in their way which made him their enemy as well. He had no regrets or second thoughts though. He knew that if he had no acted then Moka would most certainly have been killed.

"Ken-san." Hokuto approached Kaneki with a stack of papers in hand. "I need you to go to each club and get them to fill out one of these." He instructed as he handed Kaneki the stack of papers. "These are the forums which must be completed in order for each club to set up a stand at the festival. They must be completed as returned to me for completion." 

"Alright, i'll make sure they all get one Hokuto-senpai." Kaneki replied. 

"Thank you. I would also like to ask... how are you feeling after the events with Mitsuki?" Hokuto asked, showing signs of concern for his subordinate. 

"I'm doing fine Hokuto-senpai." Kaneki replied in a friendly manner. "I'm just glad that we managed to remove their mole."

"Yes, i'm sure without an inside man that ANTI-THESIS will be put back a few steps. You did a very good thing Ken-san." Hokuto praised him. "Though i'm afraid this will only make you an even bigger target for ANTI-THESIS." 

"I didn't really have much of a choice. They came after me first."

"Really? I had heard that they attacked a vampire girl who is a friend of yours. You didn't have to get involved with such a dangerous group at all, yet you chose to. That's something not many people would be willing to do." 

"You and I aren't like that Hokuto-senpai." Kaneki replied. "We're the only ones willing to stand up to ANTI-THESIS. If it wasn't for people like you and me nothing would stop them from practically taking over the school. Besides, they went after my friends. I won't let anyone get away with that." 

"I see. You hold your friends in high regards then?" 

"Yes. They are more important to me than anything, and I won't let anyone hurt them." Kaneki answered. 

"They are very lucky to have a friend like you." Hokuto told him with a smile. "Now I think we've discussed enough. We should get back to work, there's still much to be done."

"Yes Hokuto-senpai." Kaneki nodded, glad he had that chat with Hokuto. If there was one thing he was sure of, he could trust Hokuto. He was an ally in the battle against ANTI-THESIS and one that Kaneki was glad to have.

* * *

Later that day, the girls of Youkai Academy's newspaper club were walking back to the girl's dorm together. They knew better than to travel alone with ANTI-THESIS pursing them. They had originally planned on hanging out together, however with Kaneki busy with work for the festival planning committee, they had simply decided to head back to their dorms for the day instead. Though they were disappointed to not be able to spend time together, they at least hoped to avoid an attack from ANTI-THESIS for once.

"Man, I can't believe that Hokuto guy made Kaneki have to work for the rest of the day." Kurumu complained aloud.

"Well it is for a good cause." Moka reminded her. "Besides, Kaneki-kun really trusts Hokuto-san and think he'll help us against ANTI-THESIS."

"That's true I guess." Kurumu agreed somewhat reluctantly. "Still, I can't stand the idea of poor Kaneki being worked to the bone." 

"I'm sure he doesn't mind, desu. He's always willing to help out." Yukari added. 

"We should just hope ANTI-THESIS doesn't decide to go after him while he's alone." Mizore spoke up. 

"Yeah, I didn't even think about that." Kurumu replied. "He is strong, but if they gang up on him they could overpower him." 

"I wouldn't worry about that too much, desu." Yukari told her. "If we thought of that i'm sure that Hokuto-san must have thought of it as well. I'm sure he wouldn't put Kaneki in danger like that. He must either have reason to think that ANTI-THESIS won't act or he's trying to lure them into a trap." 

"I guess you're right about that." Kurumu replied. Yukari did have a point. Hokuto was very intelligent, he was always carefully planning. Especially when it came to dealing with ANTI-THESIS. There was no way he would willingly let Kaneki be put in danger of an attack. If he sent Kaneki out alone on a task, he must have had good reason to do it. Though none of them had ever met Hokuto personally, they had heard heard plenty from Kaneki about him. Their general opinion was about them same based of what they had heard. Kaneki still held him in higher regard as he was actually acquainted with the committee president. But they all saw him as a good person who would not use his subordinates in such a manner. 

Especially with the state Kaneki was in relating to his kakuja form. He had told them exactly what the Chairman had told him personally. He can not use his kakuja form again or else he will be completely lost to them. Not even the powerful Chairman would be able to revert him back to his normal form. Kaneki was now forced to abstain from using this new power permanently. However, he had won two out of three battles against ANTI-THESIS with his kakuja ability. He had only won against Mako after getting the drop on her. Statistically, this meant there was a good chance he would be forced to again call upon that power. The thought of him losing it again and being lost forever was a thought that haunted all of them in the back of their minds. 

"Enjoying your walk?" A male voice called to them from behind. All four girls turned back to see a boy leaning against a tree with a book in his hand. They recognized the book as _The Black Goat's Egg_ , one of Kaneki's favorites. Though they knew that he was not there to discuss literature with them. They all watched as the boy with short dark blonde hair flipped his book close and faced them. 

"Who are you?" Kurumu asked defensively. "What do you want?"

"That's a rude way of greeting someone." The boy replied. "My name is Yoshii Kiria, second in command of ANTI-THESIS." He announced, putting them even more on edge. "You should feel honored. You pushed us so much that I was forced to come out to deal with all of you. However, this will be the end of the line for you all." 

"So you're using us to get to Kaneki-kun again, is that it?" Kurumu accused. 

"Oh dear no, not at all. I am not a fool like Midou." Kiria replied casually. "I intend to use your deaths to send a message to Kaneki. He will know despair and regret ever having messed with us. Then I will kill him." He revealed in a sinister tone with a dark look of glee in his eyes. He was relishing the chance to tear apart his enemy both mentally and physically. "Farewell Newspaper Club." He said before snapping his fingers. Suddenly three cyclopes appeared from behind large trees around them. Each one was massive, standing twelve meters tall, nearly twice as tall as Saizou when he was transformed. The three large monsters circled the girls and had them trapped. Kiria simply watched from the sidelines as his minions did his work. The three cyclops lumbered forward and closed in on their targets.

"This is bad, what are we going to do?" Moka panicked. "Without Kaneki-kun, I can't remove my rosary." 

"Hmph, don't think too highly of yourself." Mizore coolly shot back. "We have been training too in order to one day defeat you and take Kaneki-kun for ourselves." 

"That's right! Now it's time to show you what we can really do!" Kurumu exclaimed. She released her wings and picked up Mizore by the waist. The succubus lifted her friend into the air and flew up to the neck height of the giant creatures around them. Kurumu then spun in circles with Mizore, who transformed her hands into ice claws and began to shoot large shards of ice in all directions as she was spun around. 

" **White and Black Duet, Number 3!** " The two shouted in unison and ice darts shot out all around them horizontally. Two of the cyclopes fell from the attack. Mizore's ice pierced them in the face, neck, and upper chest. The third one however was wielding a large wooden club which he used to block the attack. He took a might step forward and was already in position to swing. He raised his massive club above his head and prepared to strike. Moka could only raise her hands up in a  futile effort to brace for the strike. It was instead Yukari who stepped in with her wand raised. 

The cyclops swung down. "Warp!" Yukari commanded her spell. A large pink circle appeared above them in path of the attack. The cyclops continued with his swing, and his club along with his forearm. He stared in confusion only for a brief second before a powerful force hit him in the back of the head and knocked him out. He didn't even have time to realize what had happened. Yukari had opened a portal to intercept the strike and created the other portal behind the cyclops' head, making him knock himself out cold. The giant fell to his knees with the rest of his body swiftly falling as well. Causing a massive cloud of dust to rise up from the earth. The large cyclops' body had landed just feet away from Moka and Yukari, who had been caught in the cloud of dirt from the crash. Yukari stood there unmoved as she fell the large youkai in front of her. 

"Yukari-chan..." Moka tried to say something but was still in shock after seeing her friends take down enemies she had thought only her inner self or Kaneki could defeat. "I never knew you could do that." 

"It's because we've all been working and training hard. So that you you and Kaneki-kun don't have to take the burden all of the time, desu." She replied back with a smile.

"Yeah, that and we're going to defeat you one day and win his affection!" Kurumu gloated from above. "Now, time to deal with you." She turned her focus down towards Kiria. OR at least, where Kiria had revealed himself. He was now gone, vanished without a a trance. It seemed that he must have fled while they were busy dealing with his minions. They had let the second in command of ANTI-THESIS get away, something they would be sure to regret later. "Hey, where'd he go?" Kurumu shouted. "I thought you were keeping an eye on him." She scolded Mizore.

"Why would I keep an eye on him? I'm being held several meters in the air." Mizore retorted calmly. "You airhead." 

"Oh yeah?! Well would and airhead drop you from this height?" Kurumu retorted.

"Yes." Mizore replied very calmly. The two of them continued to argue, even after they were both back on the ground and had begun to depart the area. All the while no one noticed that Kiria had actually hidden himself behind one of the dead trees that made up the dark forest of the school grounds. He listened to their conversation as they left, amused by the childish antics of Kurumu and Mizore. He ended up smiling to himself as he allowed his targets to escape. 

"My, it seems as if that club is quite something else." He commented to himself. "Very well. I believe it is best for us now to accelerate the plan." 


	23. The Ugly Truth

"Those bastards." Kaneki cursed after learning of ANTI-THESIS' attack on his friends while he was busy. They had seen him as their primary target and went after those close to him in an attempt to get to him. They had targeted the people he cared about most simply to tear him down before they could take him down as well. It was a cruel yet well thought out tactic and it made Kaneki enraged. "If I had been there I would have tracked his scent and destroyed him." 

"Don't get carried away Kaneki-kun. If you did that your kakuja form might have come out again and then we would all lose." Mizore reminded him in an attempt to calm him down. It was true after all. If he was the second in command then he must be strong. It was entirely likely that he would force Kaneki into drastic measures in order to defeat him. Kaneki wanted to argue something back but he knew he was beat. He was simply allowing his anger to take over him and control his thoughts. He mentally cursed himself as he should have known better than that. If he did that in a fight he would be as good as dead. He took a deep breath and thought about the situation. 

"Still, if they're seconding their second in command it must mean they're desperate." Kaneki deduced. "So they'll likely get even more desperate. If we're lucky we can finally find out who's behind everything."

"But we don't know how powerful he could be. In fact we never even saw their second in command fight yesterday, so we don't even know hoe strong he could be." Moka brought up. "I know they're hybrids but they can still be pretty tough, even with all of our strength." 

"Then we'll all just fight the two of them together." Kaneki replied. "If everyone is willing to fight then i'm sure that together we could bring down ANTI-THESIS for good." He truly believed this. Kaneki believed that if everyone put their all into that they could finally bring down the threat that haunted the whole school. They were finally on the verge of winning their battle with ANTI-THESIS. They all knew that this would be the final push. They had to deal with the newly revealed second in command and then deal a swift blow to their head of command. After that ANTI-THESIS should crumble and fall apart, assuming any other members remained. 

This belief of unity was instilled into Kaneki by the committee president. Hokuto was the one who believed that if everyone worked together that ANTI-THESIS could be defeated. Before Kaneki would prefer to do things himself or let the Inner Moka handle it when it was too much. Now it was different however. Now he was ready to fight alongside his friends, all of them working together as one. With that they would finally have a shot at being able to defeat the gang that had terrorized them nearly the whole semester. However they still needed to lure out Kiria once more then their leader. 

"Yes, together, desu!" Yukari agreed. 

"But what if they get the drop on us again?" Mizore asked. "That usually seems to be the case when it comes to them." 

"I know. That's why i'm going to go ask Hokuto-senpai for help." Kaneki answered her.

"Are you sure he'll help us?" Kurumu asked. 

"I'm positive." He replied with a nod. "Hokuto-senpai knows how important my friends are to me. He wouldn't let us down like that." Kaneki headed for the door, turning back one last time right before he departed. "I'm going to go ask him what he thinks we should do. You guys just stay here." Kaneki then left, leaving the others in their club room while he sought the aid of an ally. The room went quiet for a few short moments after he left. There was a heavy tension in the air as they all realized how much of a threat ANTI-THESIS had truly become. They all secretly hoped that ANTI-THESIS would not attack Kaneki while he was out. 

The silence was broken when Kurumu let out a sigh. "I hope he comes back soon." She groaned in a melancholy tone. She looked over the room to see most of her friends had the same worried look on their faces. All except for Moka, who appeared to be deep in thought. It was as if she was onto some sort of lead and was working out eh details. Kurumu could practically see the gears in her head turning. "Hey, what is it Moka?"

"I wonder..." She thought aloud.

* * *

Kaneki swiftly arrived at the small house which was used as a base and meeting spot for the Festival Planning Committee. He entered the front door and head directly upstairs where the meeting room was. That was where he expected to find Hokuto. The committee president often stayed there until the early hours of the morning, working hard on the upcoming and much anticipated school festival. He was a hard and dedicated worker, which only helped his already charismatic personality. Kaneki was sure that Hokuto would help. He was in a rather positive mood as he climbed the stairs to the second floor and approached the meeting room.

He made his way to the red door which led to the meeting room and opened it up. "Hokuto-senpai, are you here?" He called through the room as he entered. He took one look in that room and froze in his tracks. What he saw would be etched into his memory for the rest of his life. All across the room were the bodies of the council members, some of them no longer alive. The ring shaped table was smashed in at several parts with one unconscious member atop one section of the ruined table. One other was slumped with his back against the wall and a large red stain running down from above him. He was one of the few who had been killed. Another was laying across a still standing portion of the table while the only female on the committee lay face down on the hard floor. Standing there in the middle of the chaos was Hokuto. His uniform dirtied with blood splattered on his sleeves and chest. He simply stared back at Kaneki with a spiteful glare. 

Time seemed to stop for Kaneki. He had just walked in on a betrayal that had cost the committee dearly, one that no one had even thought plausible. Kaneshiro Hokuto, the charismatic and dedicated president had just wiped out the entire committee while Kaneki was absent and stood there while the others were either out cold or killed by their leader's hands. Kaneki was speechless. He had no idea how to even feel about the horrific scene laid out before him. Hokuto was someone he trusted as much as his closest friends, and Hokuto had broken all of that in an instant. Was it even real? Was it some trick set up by ANTI-THESIS to drive the committee apart? It failed to make any sense as to why this would happen.

"You came at a most inopportune time." Hokuto broke the strong silence that last only seconds, yet to Kaneki felt as if it had lasted much longer. "Though you were bound to find out regardless." Hokuto continued as he fixed the glasses on his face.

"Hokuto-senpai... what is the meaning of this?" Kaneki asked, still shocked by everything. 

"I was not planning on doing this so soon, but Kiria had advised me that we accelerate the plan." Hokuto replied. Kaneki seemed to understand instantly what Hokuto had meant. "The truth of the matter is I am behind everything. I am the leader of ANTI-THESIS." He revealed. That direct and blunt truth hit Kaneki just as hard as walking in on the massacre. He had come to trust and respect someone who turned out the be behind everything going wrong with the school. Hokuto was the mastermind of ANTI-THESIS and all their deeds. Everything before now had all just been a facade. A fabricated and intricate lie to mask his true identity. The identity of a manipulator and leader of a gang of thugs. 

Kaneki was dumbfounded, yet he could not deny the truth. The facts were all right there in front of him. The bodies of the other council members, the blood splattered on Hokuto, as well as his outright admittance of his role. It was all plain to see, maybe that's why it hit so hard. There was so silver of doubt or suspicion before hand that would cause Kaneki to think Hokuto was involved with ANTI-THESIS. So it must have hit harder when it was all revealed at once, leaving an even bigger impact on Kaneki. He lowered his head as he tried to process everything. Never had he been crossed like this, not even by Rize. After all, he had never come to trust and confide in her the same way he did with the former council president. 

"Now before I move on I think it's time you and I settled things." Hokuto coldly determined. He took a few steps towards Kaneki until he was in range. He raised one arm and cocked it back, preparing to strike with his fingers. "Goodbye Kaneki Ken." In that instant before the strike, Kaneki's expression suddenly shifted. It changed from a stupefied look to an expression of rage. He threw a punch before Hokuto could strike and landed the strike, connecting with Hokuto's jaw. The older boy was sent flying back into a wall which he crashed against. Hokuto rubbed his jaw before fixing his attention back on Kaneki who as now releasing his kagune. 

"Everything you had told me, all that about working together to make the school a batter place. It was all bullshit wasn't it?" Kaneki asked rhetorically. "Everything you've ever said to me before now is a lie. You worked your way to the top, gained everyone's trust and made them believe in you and for what? What exactly did you hope to achieve with all of this?" 

"In truth, it wasn't all a lie." Hokuto explained as he fixed his glasses. "I do want to change the school. I want to remove this faux-peace that the chairman has created at this place. Students fight and kill each other all the time here with no repercussion so long as they not kill publicly or harm teachers. They don't actually teach us to blend into human society here, and why should we? We are stronger than them. Humans may have their numbers and technology but they are otherwise weak. Even the lowliest and weakest of the youkai could defeat a human with ease. That's why I want to remove this system of hidden co-existence along with the barrier that hides this school from the human world. I will create it the way it was meant the be by the most basic of natures laws. The strong survive and crush the weak." He elaborated. "With the might of all youkai combined we will eliminate the humans from their pedestal and force them back down the food chain where they belong."

"That was your plan? After every instance of what had happened in the past you still want to reveal yourself and wage a war?" Kaneki inquired. "You're insane, no... you're a murdering psychopath." Kaneki cracked his index finger with his knuckle. "Stand up Hokuto-san. Stand up and face your fate." Hokuto did as Kaneki told him. He began to rise from his position against the wall and stood to face Kaneki, his stone cold expression never shifting. The room fell silent once more as the two prepared to do battle. A heavy tension filled the area. 

"Very well. Let us finish this then." Hokuto accepted the challenge. "I've become tired of talking anyway. Though I must applause you for getting over your grief so quickly. I had excepted that you would have stayed in a stupor long enough for me to finish you off." He complimented with a small evil grin. "So, well done." He mocked by clapping his hands together a few times. One the last clap his hands did not come apart. Hokuto felt a cold icy feeling in his hands and whn he looked down they were frozen together in a small chunk of ice. "What?" He questioned in confusion. He then felt the same feeling again when his shoulders were frozen to the wall behind him, pinning him there. Though he was confused Kaneki quickly began to comprehend what had happened. He turned to the doorway where he found Mizore standing there with her arm raised. 

"It looks like we just made it." She commented. 

"Kaneki-kun!" Moka and Kurumu both shouted together as they rushed into the room.

"what are you guys doing here?" Kaneki asked in confusion. 

"I figured it out right after you left." Moka revealed to him. "You told me that Hokuto-san knew how important we were to you. Which means since ANTI-THESIS had targeted us directly to get to you then someone must have told them. I realized that someone had to be Hokuto-san. Only he would knew how much we truly meant and that it would be smart to target those close to you first." She then glared over to the now trapped Hokuto. He was silent for only a moment before he broke out laughing. It was a mad cackle that fit his villainous personality. 

"Well done. I never thought that any of you would have figured me out like that. Looks like the Newpaper Club does have some sense of journalism." He mocked. "So what now? Now that you known the truth and have me pinned like this what will you do?" His tone remained just as taunting. Kaneki stared down at him in a scornful manner. He had once admired Hokuto yet within minutes he had come to despise him. Hokuto had thrown away all of the respect than Kaneki had gained for him over the last couple weeks and now it had all been squandered. Hokuto had thrown it all away with a single move. There was now no longer reason for Kaneki to feel anything other than contempt for him.

"Hokuto-san, after everything you've done, trying to kill me, my friends, the council, and put millions of innocent lives at stake for your own gain, I can no longer allow you to live." He cracked his knuckle in his signature manner once more. "Trash like you should be taken out." 

"Wait Kaneki-kun." Moka grabbed his arm in attempt to halt his murderous efforts. "You're already riled up. If you get too carried away you might transform again." She warned. "We already have him trapped and exposed. We should take him to the Chairman for punishment instead. Besides, he can't really move around frozen like that." Kaneki stared down at the pinned Hokuto and took Moka's words into consideration. Hokuto was trapped in ice thanks to Mizore. He was helpless, killing him now would take little effort. But was it really necessary to kill him? Kaneki had believed that Hokuto was nothing but trash, willing to hurt countless innocents both human and youkai for the sake of his own ambitions. To Kaneki he deserved death. 

But what would it achieve in the end? Was killing him like this any better than simply turning him in to higher authorities for punishment? For awhile now he had been forced to deal with problems directly. If someone threatened him or his friends he would be forced to fight them and deal with them directly. He had killed before, that no longer bothered him. But was it necessary now? In this case he actually had a choice. He could kill Hokuto here and now and be done with it. Or he could turn the traitor into the Chairman to be dealt with. Since killing him now seemed like an unnecessary act Kaneki had lost interest. 

"Fine, we'll take him in to the Chairman." Kaneki decided. Hokuto was silent, saying nothing as his fate was now out of his hands. He was pulled off the wall by Kaneki with his hands still bound together. He was then escorted out of the room by the Newspaper Club and lead towards the Chairman's estate for judgement of all his crimes.

* * *

The walk to the Chairman's place was quiet and awkward. No one said anything as they gathered around Hokuto in order to make sure he didn't lash out or try to escape. They had walked up to the large gothic iron bar fence that gated off the Chairman's estate from the rest of the grounds. When they first rang the buzzer on the speaker to gain access inside the guards didn't seem keen of having them there. They changed their tune rather quickly when it was explained they had captured the leader of ANTI-THESIS. The gate was opened and they were welcomed in to hand over their prisoner.  For Kaneki it was the second time he had been in the rather lavish estate. For everyone else it was the first, and most seemed impressed as the gawked at the decorations. All except for the statue like Hokuto.

The Chairman was already at the top of the steps when they had arrived. He had two bodyguards by his side as he greeted his visitors. "Welcome Youkai Academy Newspaper Club." He greeted them. "First of all allow me to offer my thanks for bringing ANTI-THESIS' leader in. You all have my sincere gratitude which I intend to repay to you all in some way." He then looked directly at Hokuto with those piercing glowing eyes and wicked grin. "You disappoint me Kaneshiro Hokuto. All these years of service and you end up betraying me like this. I will see to it that your punishment is swift. Again, you did a good thing bringing him to me. Better we avoid any more bloodshed. This man has already caused plenty." 

Hokuto began to laugh. It was a mad laugh that gained the attention of everyone in the room. The Chairman's grin vanished into a more serious and solemn look as Hokuto burst into laughter seemingly out of nowhere. The former president then focused his attention to the Chairman, glaring up at him with disdain. "Don't give me that. You might have them fooled by i'm different." He spoke in a condescending tone of superiority, as if somehow the cards were still in his favor. "You had me figured out all along. You were on my back this whole year because you knew everything. But you never do the dirty work yourself, so you put together this scheme using Kaneki to get to me for you. In fact I expect you had planned for him to kill me instead of handing me over like this. You were just using him all along weren't you?" Kaneki looked back at the Chairman with a shocked expression. The robed Chairman grinned again.

"You are correct. Since I do not directly interfere with the affairs of my students I had Kaneki-san act as an agent for me. I believed him more than capable of dealing with you, even if I had to be a bit underhanded in all of this." He admitted. 

"So you just used him without telling him?" Kurumu shouted. 

"If it means anything you do have my apologies. I had confidence that you could overpower Hokuto-san and ultimately defeat him. It was never my intention to use you as a sacrifice or put your life in imminent danger like that." Again Hokuto began to laugh and garnered the attention of everyone in the room. 

"You thought the likes of him could defeat me?" Hokuto asked. "You're not as cunning as you'd like to think. In fact you, Kaneki, and all of his friends played directly into my hand." He then broke the ice binding his hands and made his move. He lunged past his captors and went in for a direct attack with amazing speeds. The two bodyguards drew their swords but it was no use. Hokuto transformed his hands so that his fingers grew and became sharp at the tips, much like needles. He cut through the two bodyguards with precision and dealt with them both in an instant as he continued to close in on the Chairman. The Chairman himself was helpless as Hokuto ruched in and transformed his right hand once more. It split into several parts each with its own long piercing blade. The skin of his hand changed into an off white as it transformed. His right hand now appeared to be something straight out of Lovecraftian lore. He stabbed the Chairman in three separate spots in the chest with his right hand. The Chairman was unable to react and hand been run through by Hokuto before anything could be done. Hokuto again laughed as he gained the upper hand. He ripped the cross necklace off the Chairman's neck before removing his weaponized limb and allowing the injured Chairman to fall to the floor. "This victory is mine, Dark Lord Mikogami Tenmei!" Hokuto gloated. 

After that, the room fell silent for a moment. In one swift move Hokuto had shifted the odds back into his favor and took down the school's chairman. They had played directly into his hands without knowing and now he was all the more closer to victory. Kaneki could not control his rage any longer. For too long now he had been playing the part of Hokuto's puppet and he finally had enough. "Hokuto!" He shouted towards the man who stood next to the face down chairman. "I'm going to tear you apart!" He then lunged up the stairs at Hokuto with full intent to make good on his promise. Hokuto raised one foot in response and reacted with a powerful kick that sent Kaneki flying back down the stairs. He tumbled on his back before landing on his hands and feet, sliding on the floor a short distance before the momentum of the attack ceased. 

"Kaneki-kun!" Moka ran over to his side in concern. Hokuto stared down at the others with a haughty expression while their backs were turned. 

"I grow tired of this." He announced, holding up the gold rosary which had decorated purple markings on it. As he did so a large blue bubble of energy trapped Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari inside. They were cut off from their friends and trapped within the dome of energy. 

"Gah, we're trapped." Kurumu discerned. 

"What is this?" Yukari asked. "I've never seen such a powerful magical barrier." 

"That is the power of the Rosary of Judgement." Hokuto clarified. "This is the rosary which I have been aiming to take from the Chairman. I'm sure you are already familiar with the rosary worn by your vampire friend. This one however is a far more powerful rosary, capable of creating immensely powerful seals. Such as the one placed around this school that keeps it hidden from the human world. With it I can also undo that barrier and complete my objective." 

"No." Kaneki protested weakly as he stood back on his feet. Moka opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when Kaneki quickly snatched the rosary around her neck and unleashed her inner form. A powerful wave of youkai energy swept through the room, though Hokuto appeared unmoved by such a powerful force. Soon enough the outer Moka had been replaced with the elegant silver haired inner Moka. She stared up at Hokuto with eyes just as condemning as Kaneki's. "We won't let you get away with this!" Kaneki declared. 

"You and your organization ends here Kaneshiro Hokuto." Moka told him. Hokuto adjusted the glasses on his face and prepared for a fight. "Stay calm Kaneki Ken, don't allow the other you to take over once more." 

"Yeah, I know." He replied calmly. He made the first move. He jumped into the air and unleashed his kagune, coming down on Hokuto from above. Hokuto stood there passively as Kaneki came down upon him. 

"Take care of this will you?" Hokuto asked calmly. Then in a flash a new figure apppeared seemingly out of nowhere and stuck Kaneki from below, launching him through the ceiling and into the second floor. Everyone was caught by surprise when that happened and left standing there after the attack was Kiria, Hokuto's right hand man. The blonde boy turned to his friend and superior. 

"I'll take care of him. You can have the vampire all to yourself." Kiria told Hokuto. He then jumped up through the hole he had just created and went to continue his fight with Kaneki up above. Moka glared up at Hokuto who still stood atop the steps of the grand foyer. He grinned as he was left to finally have at it with the mighty vampire. Something that he had been dreaming about for a long time. 

"Well then, shall we proceed Akashiya Moka?" He asked, outstretching his arms to either side. "Come and show me your 'superiority' so that I may smash every bit of your pride." 

* * *

Kiria landed just on the edge of the hole in the floor that led to the ground floor. Kaneki had picked himself up again from under a small piled of wood. It seemed as if he bounced off the ceiling but caused part of it to come down, though structurally it was still in tact. They were now in what looked like a study. Bookshelves lines the wall against the door to one side while on the opposite side there was a single wooden desk. Though the room seemed rather long for a private study. He wiped blood from his mouth and glared at Kiria, both eyes showing as his eyepatch had fallen off. Kiria approached calmly, not showing much concern to his own safety. 

"If you want to stop Hokuto you will have to go through me first." Kiria informed his opponent. "Try to make this interesting if you will."

"I don't care who you are." He launched himself at Kiria. "You're in my way!" He threw a punch while in the air and Kiria skillfully dodged to the side. Kaneki landed against the wall behind Kiria and launched himself off it back at his target. He kicked straight down and ended up flipping in the air from his momentum. Kiria once more dodged to the side with seemingly little effort. "Come on, is that all?" He taunted. Kaneki attacked with his rinkaku while still in the air sending all four towards Kiria who backed away to dodge them. Kaneki landed on his feet once more and darted towards Kiria closing the distance between him and his opponent. He sent out his kagune again using each individual limb to rapidly attack one after the other, leaving no time for a counter attack. Kiria was force to dodge back until he found his back against the wall with Kaneki quickly closing in.

Kiria smirked as he made his next attack. His right hand suddenly transformed much like Hokuto's except for the shape which was a scythe shape. He used his transformed blade arm to cut through all of Kaneki's kagune tentacles. He then grabbed Kaneki by the throat and slammed him against the wall, throwing him through into a hallway. Kiria stepped through the new hole which he created and joined Kaneki in the hallway. "Hokuto and I won't be as easy as any of the others. We aren't just normal monstrels like the rest of ANTI-THESIS. We are Chimeras, created mixed breeds with fare more skills than the others." He lectured. Kaneki rose to his feet once more and wiped blood from his mouth. 

He attacked again with regenerated kagune limbs. He sent all of them out and once towards Kiria who blocked them all then parried the attack. He dashed towards Kaneki and punched him, sending him through part of the building a third time. He was knocked back into another room and crashed onto a table which broke and collapsed to the floor along with him. Kiria continued his collected assault as he stepped through the new opening to find Kaneki now motionless and face down on the floor. Saw dust was scattered across the room from the broken furniture which was now scattered along the ground next to the defeated Kaneki.  

"Was that really all you were worth?" Kiria asked in deriding manner. "How boring." He reverted his arm back into it's normal state and turned away. He was already leaving through the latest hole he had created in the Chairman's estate when he heard the other one begin to move. Kiria stopped in his tracks and turned back to see Kaneki attempting to move. He was clearly weakened by those attacks and could not take much more. He barely managed to lift his upper body from the floor, his arms shaking as he did so. "Still kicking? You really are stubborn, you know that?" He asked. Kiria entered the room one last time as he transformed his arm once more. He walked over towards Kaneki and prepared to finish him off. "Your journey ends here one-eyed Kaneki Ken." He raised him arm and aimed for the killing blow. 

He would have finished it right there are then. In one move he would have ended Kaneki's life and the fight. However he victory was taken away when his transformed arm was suddenly chopped off. It was too quick for him to even process mentally. One second he was preparing for the final blow and the next his arm was gone. He looked at the wound to find his hand along with half of his forearm missing with blood gushing our from his arm. 

" _HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_ " Kaneki laughed in an evil and distorted tone. Kiria looked down in both shock and horror as he began to realize what had happened. Kaneki was now on his feet again though he was hunched over. Instead of the four rinkaku which normally came from his back two large centipede tails took their place and writhed about fiercely. Kaneki looked up at Kiria with a large single kakugan on the mask that now covered his face. "You are dead!" He proclaimed in his twisted sinister voice. The final transformation had taken place as Kaneki, despite his own will, had once more turned into his kakuja state. Kiria's eyes were wild with fear as the tables were turned on him in an instant and his chances of survival had all but vanished. 


	24. Rosary of Judgement

Moka moved towards Hokuto with greater speed than Kaneki had. She was quickly upon him  and delivered a powerful kick aimed at his head. Hokuto raised his arm and blocked the attack while still gripping the golden rosary in his hand. She quickly disengaged then went in for another attack. She kicked lowered with her other foot, aiming for his ribs this time. In two swift moves Hokuto blocked her kick with one had and redirected it, while with the other hand he attack with an open palm strike. Moka raised both her arms and blocked the attack, though the force was still enough to knock her off the stairs. She landed on her feet at the base of the stairs where she had started her assault. "Come on, I know that can't be all." Hokuto taunted. It had worked too as Moka could be seen getting angrier as a mix-bred youkai mocked her skills. She suddenly vanished from sight for a moment. 

Hokuto grinned and raised one arm above his head. He blocked the kick that had come down directly above him as Moka suddenly reappeared in the air behind him. She disengaged once more as she flipped back and landed on the platform at the sop of the stairs, now on equal footing with Hokuto. "That was what you call Flash Movements, correct?" Hokuto asked before turning to face Moka. "I've studied the fighting techniques of vampires for quite some time. Your power does not come from raw muscle mass like other species. Instead you have very high levels of youkai energy which you convert into strength when you fight. You can also momentarily use said energy for great bursts of speed like you have showed me. Still, if that is all then it won't be enough." 

"You talk far too much." Moka chastised, rushing in with flash movements once more and sending a side kick aimed at his solar plexus. Hokuto grabbed her with both hands and held back the attack. A white blade extended up from the back of his hand then rapidly extended towards Moka. She ducked backwards to dodge it and spun off the ground, raising her other leg and aiming a kick at Hokuto's head. He dodged it in the same manner she had dodged his attack, though he released his grip on her foot and backed up a few steps. Moka continued her spin until she was upright and landed on the ground safely. 

"I talk too much you say?" Hokuto repeated her words. "It would do you well to analyze your opponents moves and tactics in a fight." 

"You want to know about my tactics? Fine. Do you know why I only use kicks in battle?" She asked him.

"You're not going to tell me it's because you're holding back on a lower race are you?" He replied mockingly. 

"No. It's so I can use my flash movements more effectively in combat." She informed him before disappearing once more. Hokuto blocked a side kick aimed at his neck as she once more appeared right in front of him. However he felt no momentum with the kick and her leg seemed to vanish then reappear aimed lower. He quickly realized she had created an afterimage of her leg using flash movements and she landed her first successful hit on his stomach. She then followed it up with a rapid series of kicks across Hokuto's upper body that eventually sent him flying back and up the next set of stairs that led up to the second floor. He launched a short distance into the air then crashed down of the walk of the second floor. Moka stood there confidently as she watched her opponent get blown away from her attacks. Within a few moments Hokuto was back on his feets, getting up from the small crater and cloud of debris created from the attack. 

He fixed his glasses before proceeding towards his opponent. "I see, that was a clever technique." He admitted. "So allow me to show you my assortment of techniques." He outstretched his arms to either side and suddenly sprouted wings from his back. They were long wings that almost reached down to the floor. The bony part white just like his other transformed appendages. His hands split open and grew so that each finger was a massive blade like claw. There was also two white spikes, one growing at the end of each elbow. This was his form, the form of a Chimera. Moka recognized it as well. 

"A Chimera? So you chose to further yourself away from purebred youkai. How disgraceful." She commented. 

"Jeer as it all you want vampire, I will show you my power the only way you will understand." He responded. Moka prepared for his attack while quickly planned out his next move. He would close in quickly and use his pure speed to keep up with flash movements. He would get a beat on her attack patterns and find the right opportunity to strike her down and show his strength. He had been waiting years for this moment, to tear down those who saw themselves as superior and strong. He would show them was strength really was. He could not fail. He got ready to leap and put the fight to an end before continuing his place. 

Before he had took action part of the ceiling came down nearby and drew everyone's attention. It was a horrifying sight for all. Kaneki had rejoined them in that room now in full kakuja form. His friends were all shocked to see he had lost and was no longer in control nor would he be ever again. He did not quite come down alone however. In his hands he held what remained of Kiria. A corpse torn in two at the waist with a ghastly expression still on his face. He was no longer alive, that was quite clear by looking not only at the extent of his injury but the blank look in his eyes. That is what shocked Hokuto. Kiria, his second in command and only friends, was now dead. Savagely torn apart by a wild and mindless Kaneki. If anyone in the world deserved the title of monster, it would be Kaneki in that instant with the state he was in.

"Kiria..." Hokuto spoke solemnly. "So that's how it turned out then. I will not allow you to have died in vain Kiria." Hokuto raised the rosary up in front of him. "It's time to proceed with the final step." The purple etchings on the necklace began to glow and give off a purple aura. 

"No!" Moka protested as she rushed in.

" _Die!_ " Kaneki commanded as he launched himself up at Kaneki. The two of them closed in on Hokuto together, both attempting to stop him from disabling the barrier. The light produced by the rosary began to in intensify as the other two drew closer. Before they could attack the rosary suddenly emitted a bright flash that engulfed Hokuto, Moka, and Kaneki. The other three in the energy barrier were forced to shield their eyes for a moment from the intensity of the flash. When the purple light had subsided they all looked again to see the three free of the barrier had vanished. They were nowhere to be seen, not even a trace or clue as to what had happened. They had simply disappeared along with the light that shone from the golden rosary. 

"Where did the go?" Kurumu asked, just as confused as Yukari and Mizore.

* * *

What had actually happened was that the rosary had teleported the three of them to the mansion's basement. It was a large mostly open area save for the pattern of stone pillars that lined the room and supported the upper levels. It was also dark. A few torches on each support pillar lit the room along with one light in the center. That light illuminated a console panel down below. It was on a circular raised platform in the center of the large basement with three different panels that made up the entire system. The three of them were not far from that console. It was Hokuto's target after all, what he needed to finally lower the barrier to the school. However things had become rather complicated for him.

Kaneki now stood as an obstacle in his path. The frenzied half-ghoul lashed out wildly at Hokuto who kept dodging his attacks. Kaneki's two centipede tails crashed down from above and missed their target as Hoktuo dodged backwards. He then rushed in close and unleashed four small rinkaku. They were not as strong as their normal form but were much faster and lashed out at great speeds. Hokuto's transformed fingers began to writhe and whiplashed back at Kaneki's kagune, matching their speed. He was able to block all of the attacks with one hand and counterattacked with his other. Five long fingers writhed out and aimed their sharpened sides at Kaneki. He in turn jumped back out of their range and dodged the attack. He landed on a pillar behind him and launched himself off it and towards Hokuto. He attacked by swiping one centipede tail across towards Hokuto's head. Hokuto ducked under the attack by moving his upper body sideways with the strike. He then kicked upwards towards Kaneki and connected with his ribs. Kaneki shot across the room from the force of the kick and smashed through one of the pillars. 

"Was that it? That was what defeated all my other officers?" Hokuto asked tauntingly. Kaneki responded by lunging at him once more. He spun his body in air so that his two kakuja tails attacked much like a windmill. Hokuto was able to dodge the attack by moving backwards as Kaneki came at him. He then side-stepped the maneuver and attacked Kaneki while his kagune was still in motion and unable to block. Hokuto's long fingers extended out and ended up slashing Kaneki in several parts. The mindless Kaneki fell to the ground and just managed to land on his hands and feet, though the frightening smile was still plastered on his face. He was cut in the right shoulder, left thigh, his right wrist, and down his back. Though his kagune and kakuhou remained in tact and were not damaged from the attack. Hokuto grinned as he continued to demonstrate his upper hand in the fight. 

Meanwhile Moka observed the fight from a distance, attempting to stay out of the frenzied kakuja's crosshairs. What she was witnessing troubled her. When Kaneki had previously become a kakuja he was much faster than he was currently. He was able to keep up with Moka in her transformed state and would most likely have put up more of a fight than anyone she had encountered before. So he should be moving much faster and giving Hokuto a harder time, yet it was evident that Hokuto was winning the fight so far. Kaneki seemed weakened and whatever caused it was affecting him. He certainly would not be able to take much more of this beating. She was near certain that if things continued that he would lose.

Sure enough, Hokuto quickly began to wrap up their battle. Kaneki made another direct pass and was met with an upwards kick that struck him right in the jaw. He was launched up and back from strike, becoming limp in the air and crashing down on his back before sliding a short distance. He quickly shot up from the ground and got back o his feet. His madman's smile had now vanished and turned into an irate scowl. He let out a fierce war cry and he made another mindless straightforward attack. Hokuto rushed in as well and jumped into the air above Kaneki. Once above him Hokuto punched straight down and connected the hit with the back of Kaneki's head. He was sent crashed face first into the ground, the force of which created a cloud of debris to erupt from the area of impact. Hokuto landed safely several feet away as Kaneki lay there. 

He barely managed to pick himself up after that. He supported his upper body off the ground using his arms and glared at Hokuto. His mask began to break, falling to pieces on the ground and revealing his true face and single kakugan in his left eye. All while Hokuto stood there triumphantly, grinning down at the beaten and weakened Kaneki. "Was that all your fearsome transformation into a kakuja was worth? How disappointing." Hokuto taunted. "The vampire would have made for a better opponent." He quickly got what he wished for. Moka suddenly appeared behind him and used a roundhouse kick aimed at his head. Hokuto was just barely able to block the surprise attack with his wrist and was sent flying across the room from the force, though he landed safely on his feet. Moka now stood in his spot next to her injured comrade. 

"What is wrong with you Kaneki? You were much stronger during your last transformation." She asked. Kaneki let out a sigh, his breathing was heavy due to the extent of his injuries. She noticed they were not healing anymore as well.Something was interfering with his powers as a whole and weakening him. 

"After the Chairman talked with me... I wanted to make sure I never transformed into that again." He answered weakly. "I stopped eating for awhile, in order to weaken myself... I thought if I wasn't fed as much maybe it would weaken." He panted again, not used to being injured for so long without any bit of regeneration. 

"What?! Why on earth would you ever even consider that?" Moka scolded him. "Doing so has weakened your abilities as a whole and that's why you lost. You've only aided the enemy with your foolishness." 

"She's right." Hokuto agreed from afar. "Kaneki Ken, you are a fool. By starving both you and your abilities you have ensured my victory." He pointed to his left, towards the console in the center of the room that was not far from him. "That is the master console which controls the barrier surrounding the school. With the chairman's rosary I can deactivate it and make this place known to the world." He proceeded to make his way to the console. Even with a vampire on your side you are still no match for me."

"Moka-san, you have to strop him... Only you can." Kaneki pleaded. Moka stared angrily at Hokuto who paid her no attention, though he was still on guard should she try and attack again. She weighed her options on how to proceeded and made her decision. She need to do something that would hurt her pride, seeing as she was left with no other option. Rushing in and attacking even with flash movements would not guarantee a victory. There was only one other choice of action for her. She knelt down next to Kaneki and helped him sit upright. 

"Listen to me Kaneki Ken." She spoke firmly. "I do not know if I can do this alone, and I do not intend to take any chances." She adjusted her school uniform, lowering it around her right shoulder so that it was now exposed, confusing Kaneki. "If you need to eat then I give you permission to use a part of me." Kaneki stared back at her in shock. The Inner Moka was far different from the bubbly outer personality he was used to. Inner Moka was aristocratic, proud, and dignified. She saw herself above most other, especially those not of vampire blood. To offer part of herself like that shocked Kaneki. He would never have thought that she would do anything of the like, or rather anything that might make it seem like she is lowering herself. The mere words threw him off entirely. 

"Are... are you sure Moka-san?" He asked.

"I am." She affirmed with a nod. "As much as I do not want to admit it, I need your help right now. So hurry up and make it quick." She closed her eyes and waited. Kaneki was still shocked by her willingness to allow him to do such a thing and offer a part of her to help him. Still he knew she was right and they did not have much time. He leaned up towards her exposed shoulder and opened his mouth. He bit down on her shoulder and caused he to mildly wince from the pain. It hurt, but she had suffered worse before. She endured it as she allowed Kaneki to consume a part of her in order to heal him and bring everything to an end.

Meanwhile, Hokuto had reached his goal and was now standing by the master control for the school's magical barrier. It was all finally about to come together. Years of meticulous planning was finally starting pay off and his dream was now within reach. All he had to do was insert the rosary into the cross shaped cutout of the panel and it would allow him to deactivate the great barrier. With a flick of the wrist he flung the rosary up and grabbed hold of it, a gleeful smile coming across his face as he stared down at the master control. "Yes, it's finally time." He crowed. "Now I will finish our dream Kiria. I will finally put an end to it."

He was so close and was about to place the rosary in place when he felt someone grab his wrist and stop him. "I won't let you do that." Kaneki declared. Hokuto looked over to his right to see Kaneki standing there with a firm grasp on his wrist. Kaneki's wounds were now starting to heal and his strength returning. Hokuto shot a look of irritation as Kaneki continued to interfere with his plans. He raised his other hand and let his fingers extend to cut into the half-ghoul. Before they could connect Kaneki swung Hokuto's wrist to the side so that he could land a hard kick to Hokuto's face. He was shot back several feet from the force of the attack, though he still had the rosary in his hand. His nose began to bleed from the attack and he glared at Kaneki, the first year student who was now a very real threat to him. 

"Why you..." Hokuto's voice came out as a low angry growl.

"What on earth are you doing?!" Moka shouted as she rushed over to the fight. She drew Hokuto's attention and he noticed the blood dripping from her shoulder and onto her uniform as well as the floor. Hokuto was quickly able to put two and two together and realized how Kaneki was suddenly able to fight again and was stronger than before. Moka had allowed him to eat a peice of her in order to regain his strength. Though he was mildly surprised a vampire lowered herself to such a position, he could not allow them to continue. "I said I need you to help me, not rush in headfirst without thinking!" She scolded him. 

"Moka." Kaneki replied plainly, never taking his eyes off his opponent even for a moment. "Thank you for doing what you did. In order for me to repay you, just stay back and let me take care of this." He told her. Hokuto turned his attention back to Kaneki. 

"Then let us settle this, once and for all." He decided. Hokuto rushed in first, swiping at Kaneki with one of his clawed hands. Kaneki side stepped the attack and was able to dodge it fairly easy. Hokuto stopped close enough to spin around and go for a second attack. His right forearm split down the middle into two large multiple bladed segments each with five blades. They darted out and came upon him at two different directions. One straight for his chest and the other came down from above at an angle. Kaneki unleashed his kagune and blocked the attacks at the base of the sets of blades. He redirected them outward and left Hokuto open. He quickly closed in on Hokuto and delivered a powerful punch that connected with the center of his chest. Hokuto was launched backwards and tumbled over his back twice before quickly regaining himself and getting back to his feet. 

"I know your type. Because you have strength no matter how much or how little it actually is you feel you get to decide the rules. You don't care about anything other than you and your own abilities." Kaneki reproached Hokuto for his actions. "You don't care that you hurt others and you don't give a damn if innocent people get killed whether or not they were involved with you." Hokuto rushed in once more and extended all of his bladed fingers that came down upon Kaneki in all directions. He jumped above the attacks and launched himself towards Hokuto. He sent out his own rinkaku at Hokuto in a similar fashion. Hokuto dodged backwards and swiftly retracted his transformed fingers. He now balled his hands into fists and transformed them so that the outside parts of his fingers were now sharp. He closed in and threw a punch aimed at Kaneki's head. Kaneki blocked the strike with his wrist and sent his kagune to come down upon Hokuto, who dodged backwards once more. A cloud of debris shot up from the force of the impact and briefly obscured the spot where Kaneki was standing. Or the spot where he was last seen, for once the dust had cleared he was nowhere to be seen. 

"Trash like you..." Hokuto quickly snapped his head to look back and see Kaneki standing behind him, the two of them now back to back. "Should just disappear." Kaneki told him. Hokuto was shocked that Kaneki had suddenly appeared behind him like that. How was it possible for him to move that fast. He had no time to ask those questions however. As soon as he moved an inch to attack he felt an immense pain in his chest. He looked down to see blood fly out from four circular wounds that punctured deep into his chest, one even cutting all the way through him which caused blood to also splatter from behind him. Hokuto fell to his knees then fact first to the ground below. He was weak, he could feel the strength leave his body which started to revert back to it's normal form. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Kaneki had moved so fast he never even saw when all four parts of his kagune stabbed him. Kaneki turned to face Hokuto who lay there bloodied and defeated. 

"I just missed your heart, but I managed to hit your aorta and puncture a lung. You're going to die here." Kaneki told him as he lay there unable to move. He couldn't even move his head to look back up at the one who had ruined everything. His eyes instead wandered to the Rosary of Judgement, which was still connected to him by the strings wrapped around his wrist. He would barely move his fingers around it at all and in the end it had no use. Kaneki bent down and took the rosary from him with no resistance. Hokuto had no energy to try and hold onto the small cross whatsoever. "It's over Hokuto." Kaneki walked away with the rosary in his hands now and left Hokuto to bleed out. Hokuto tried to reach out and could barely lift his arm above the ground. He could not call out or say stop, his voice failed him. One last image came to his mind as he reached out. HIs first meeting with Kiria.

It was their first year as students there. Hokuto was weak back then, he was the bottom of the barrel. He was always getting picked on or beaten up by other students. It was a miracle that he hadn't been killed by that point. Around him were the bodies of three older students who lay defeated. Standing above him was Kiria, who had just killed the three students that beat Hokuto to a bloody pulp. Kiria was smiling down at him, as if sympathizing with him. Though Hokuto knew that wasn't the case. The two of them both knew any misery that was inflicted by others was caused by one's own lack of ability. Kiria thought that it was coming to Hokuto because he was weak. But he saw something in his classmate that day. A fire in his eyes that refused to go out. He was a fighter and a survivor. Kiria could tell that Hokuto was meant for more. He knelt down and offered a hand to his injured classmate. "If you want it to stop then show me." Were his words. "Let's get stronger together and show this whole school what we can do." 

It was that moment which started their friendship together. They spent years after that training and planning to make something of themselves. To establish themselves on the top of the food chain for once. But now Kiria was dead and Hokuto was soon to follow. He continued to reach out and reminisced of his one happy moment at Youkai Academy. "Kiria..." He called weakly. Then the vision of his friend faded and Hokuto's body fell limp as he slipped into silent oblivion. Kaneki left the scene and never looked back, not even feeling an ounce of pity for the dead man he once considered a friend. 


	25. A Farewell

The Youkai Academy Chairman Mikogami Tenmei sluggishly awoke on one the many beds at the school's infirmary. He was given a private room due to his status and the entire incident had been kept secret from the student public. No one knew that there had been an incident which had sent the school's Chairman to the infirmary. That was of course with the exception of the school's Newspaper Club, which had witnessed the entire event. All but one had bared witness to Hokuto stabbing the headmaster through the chest, just barely missing his heart. Had the strike been a couple more inches off the Chairman would not have survived. 

His body was still weakened from the attack, his strength still recovering. He glanced around as much of the room as he could without moving his head. It was daylight and he could see the rays of sunlight gleaming in from the windows. He was in a room with a single bed and the door closed. He could not hear any movement from the other side of the closed door. Instead all he could hear was the patterned beep of the heart monitor connected to him. "You're finally awake." A familiar voice called to him. The headmaster turned his head to his right to see Kaneki sitting in a chair nearby. He was dressed in his school uniform, the green jacket and white undershirt along with khaki pants. He was also wearing his eyepatch over his left eye.

"Ah, Kaneki Ken." The Chairman greeted him weakly. "I assume then that you managed to stop Hokuto?" Kaneki nodded.

"Hokuto and his accomplice Kiria are both dead." Kaneki revealed. 

"I see." Mikogami's reply was rather subtle, not showing much emotion. He simply took that news as fact. In truth he knew it had to be done, but part of him was still blue over the news. He had accepted Hokuto into his fold, taking him away from an unforgiving household and even crueler father. That felt like a long time ago, back when Hokuto was still human. Back then he had held high hopes for Hokuto and wished for something promising. Perhaps the first step in a peaceful coexistence. But instead Hokuto's heart had turned black. The Chairman saw the early warning signs and knew Hokuto would inevitable betray him. Unfortunately Hokuto had managed to pull it off and now the headmaster was paying the price for it. He was saddened, but he knew there was no other way.

"What of the rosary?" Mikogami inquired. Kaneki reached into his pocket and produced a gold chain. Attached to it was the golden Rosary of Judgement, the ornate cross that held enough power within it to keep up the entire barrier that surrounded the school and protected it from the outside world. Kaneki reached over and handed it to the headmaster, dropping it in his open palm. "Thank you, Kaneki Ken. The whole school, no I dare say the world owes you as do I. If you need anything I am capable of then you need but ask." Kaneki thought for a moment about the weight of the situation. He had saved the school from unquestionable destruction, he knew that to be true. But he had never thought about it enough to realize that his actions had reached out to the entire world. He had stopped what would have been an all out war that would have most likely ended in the extermination of all youkai races. For not even the mightiest youkai stood a chance against humanity's nuclear arms.

But through Kaneki's actions that had all been avoided. He had in fact saved the world even though only a handful of people knew this. He supposed he should feel like a hero but that wasn't the case. Instead he felt betrayed and sorrowed. "I'll remember that if anything ever comes up." Kaneki replied neutrally. "I wish you a well recovery Chairman-sama." Kaneki stood up from his chair and left Mikogami alone in that room to recover. The Chairman glanced down at the rosary in his hand, pleased with the outcome his panning.

* * *

After his meeting with the school's headmaster Kaneki took a walk alone. He had wanted to have some time to have his thoughts to himself. Kaneki was currently standing along the railing along one of the second floor hallways within the school. It was an open hall that was larger on the ground floor and had an opening in the center two meters across and led to the floor below. Kaneki's glance was off in the distance as he thought about everything he had just gone trough.

Hokuto was dead. A man he once respected and trusted was actually plotting against him the whole time without Kaneki being any the wiser. But the Chairman knew, he knew about Hokuto's imminent betrayal long in advance. He had proceeded to use Kaneki like a chess piece in order to outdo his would be usurper. Kaneki was not angry with this fact, he was glad to have stopped Hokuto's schemes. The former council president was a madman who's goals would have put the lives of all youkai at risk. What was done had to be done, there was no other way around that. But still the fact that someone Kaneki had admired ultimately was using him still upset Kaneki. Though he was not as devastated when he first found out it still stung none the less. 

He was barely able to pull through that battle. In fact he would not have even been able to deal with Kiria had it not been for his kakuja form. Even though the headmaster had warned him and even though he knew full well the ramifications of what would happen he did it anyway. Kaneki had lost control and was forced to use his kakuja form to win that battle. After that his fight with Kiria had quickly shifted to his favor. His fight with Hokuto had gone quite different. He was barely able to land any hits and Hokuto for the most part dealt with him as if it were nothing. Kaneki was exhausted, physically starved in hopes to avoid what had happened regardless. Had it not been for Moka then he and everyone in Youkai Academy would have certainly died. In fact a great many more would have died as a result, millions even. Kaneki was grateful to her for that but it did not change the facts.

Even though the school had nearly been destroyed unbeknownst to the student body, the annual school festival was being held that night. For most it was as if nothing had happened. Most students and even many of the teachers had no idea that their headmaster was currently recovering in the infirmary. They had all moved on with their lives as if nothing had happened, because to them nothing major had happened. Kaneki figured it was easier this way. There was no need to make everyone worry and panic over something that was history now. The school and everyone within it were safe now. Yet it was not all over for Kaneki.

"Kaneki-kun!" Moka's soft voice called out to him. Kaneki glanced to his right to see Moka in her school uniform and with a wide smile on his face. She approached him and Kaneki pulled himself off the railing. "I'm glad to see you recovered." She told him with a kind smile. "So tonight's the school festival. It feels kinda funny they're still having it despite everything that's happened." She remarked. "But... well I wanted to as you something. Do you think maybe you and I could..."

"There he is!" Kurumu's voice once again interrupted them. She quickly appeared next to Kaneki and wrapped one arm tight around him. Kaneki was caught off guard as Kurumu pulled him into a one armed embrace and waved a different direction. "Over here mom!" She called out. Kaneki looked over towards the direction Kurumu was shouting and saw a female figure approaching. She had long blue flowing hair and had a rather well endowed bosom. She looked very familiar to  Kurumu, and Kaneki could instantly see the family resemblance in the woman Kurumu had called her mother. "Let me introduce you two. Kaneki-kun, this is my mother. Mom, this is my boyfriend Kaneki Ken." Both Moka and Kaneki looked at Kurumu with aghast expressions. 

"So you're the boy my daughter has told me so much about." Kurumu's mother observed, taking not of Kaneki's physical appearance as well as his body language. "I've heard quite a bit already." She gave him a sly smile.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but i'm afraid there's been some confusion." Kaneki tried to tell her. "You see-"

"This is him." Mizore's more soft spoken voice rang out on his other side as she appeared on the opposite as Kurumu and wrapped her arm under Kaneki's. Though her entrance was much more subtle it ended up scaring him even more. Mizore had that habit of staying hidden and popping up when it was least expected. Whereas Kurumu had run in shouting beforehand Mizore instead simply appeared out of nowhere and was suddenly grabbing onto Kaneki. She was also looking off a different direction and Kaneki glanced to his left to see another adult woman approaching. He quickly began to guess that this woman would be Mizore's mother. "Mother this is my boyfriend, Kaneki Ken." Moka looked even more shocked now, turning pale and unable to pick up her jaw.

"I thought you said he was your boyfriend." Kurumu's mother.

"H-he is!" Kurumu replied. 

"So he's not yours?" Mizore mother asked her own daughter. 

"Ignore the blue haired airhead. She doesn't know what she's talking about." Mizore remarked cooly. 

"Hey, just what do you think you're doing?!" Kurumu shouted, tossing Kaneki aside and getting confrontational with the yuki-onna. "I'm trying to introduce Kaneki to my mother."

"As am I you empty headed bimbo." Mizore retorted. "I thought since our parents are allowed to visit I should introduce her to Kaneki and have dinner."

"That was my plan first! You stole it!" 

"So what i'm getting from this is you're both lying." Kurumu's mother commented. 

"I expected better from you Mizore." Mizore's own mother reprimanded her. 

"No, he is going to come with us!" Kurumu quickly blurted out.

"What makes you think he'll come with you?" Mizore asked. 

"Don't think you can steal him from me, he's coming with us!" Kurumu argued. 

"No, he's coming with my mother and I." 

"Right Kaneki?" Both girls asked simultaneously. They both saw Kaneki a short distance away now with his back turned. Unbeknownst to them at the time he had actually started walking away while they were arguing. He only stopped when he heard them both call out his name. His three classmates all looked at him with confused expressions. IT was not like him to suddenly leave them like that. He wasn't trying to avoid the awkward situation as he would have been moving much faster had that been the case. Instead he had simply sauntered away while they were conversing and fell silent for a few moments.

"Kurumu, Mizore, Moka..." He addressed the three of them without any honorifics, something else that was off about him. His tone of voice sounded much colder and more melancholic that usual. it was as if something had disheartened him, but what? Certainly it couldn't still be Hokuto's betrayal. "If you keep hanging around me then you'll just keep getting put in danger." He began, his voice laced with woe. "That's why for you own sakes I want you to just forget about me." The three of them all just stared back, wide eyed and shocked. It hit them like a ton of bricks. 

"What are you saying?" Kurumu tried to argue.

"I'm saying if you keep staying around me your lives are just going to get put in danger again and again." Kaneki told her neutrally. "What's going to happen when I go back home and have Aogiri coming after me? I can't have you all getting put in that much danger on my behalf. So just forget about me. It'll be easier that way." Kaneki reinforced his view. He then proceeded to depart, leaving his old club behind. The three others were all shocked. Kaneki was leaving them in order to try and protect them. But they didn't want him to leave and none of them wanted to just forget him. They wanted to protest, all three girls wanted to shout at him and tell him not to leave. But none of that escaped their mouths. They were all both too stunned and hurt to tell him otherwise.

"Kaneki..." Moka was the only one to speak. Her voice faltered as she tried to find the words to say. The words which would make him stay and not abandon his friends. She knew his heart was in the right place but he was only hurting everyone involved. She wanted to explain this but her heart had sunk with the very thought of him leaving. "Don't go." Was all she managed to get out. Her words fell on deaf ears and she was ultimately only able to watch helplessly as Kaneki left her behind. 

* * *

The last bus of visiting parents and relatives pulled up to Youkai Academy in the early hours of the evening. The sun was starting to set and the school festival was in full swing. The first day was host to a special event in which relatives of the students were allowed to visit for a short time. Many would be seeing their relatives soon during the upcoming break but this still helped to raise spirits and reconnect those students who could not return with their families. The same bus that had dropped Kaneki off on his first day traveled to many different realms where many different species of Youkai lived. It had also picked up a handful of them from the human world who had learned to blend into human society. 

The visiting family members departed the bus one by one in a single file line. They then headed for the school and spread across its grounds, headed to the places where they were to meet their kin. Within a minute the bus had emptied and the last batch of visitors was delivered. No one took notice of the last passenger to depart the bus. She appeared to be a small child who wore a purple cloak with the hood pulled up to cover her face. Once the others had departed and the bus pulled away she lowered her hood to reveal the bandages which covered her face. Eto giggled as she glanced at Youkai Academy for the first time. She found it rather ironic a private school for what human would consider monsters had such a Gothic style of architecture. 

Her thoughts drifted to that of what it must be like for the students here. All of them know if their identities are found out by humans then it could mean the extinction of their entire species. Thankfully the majority of humans today believed many of these species to be nothing more than legend. That vampires, werewolves, and draugr were nothing more than tales from the bronze age. The only monsters they knew of anymore were the ghouls whom they say sought to eradicate. If they learned the truth about these other species then surely those kinds would face the same fate. They would be hunted to extinction just as many others before. Her thoughts then shifted to how things might be different for if she had known of this place sooner. Maybe she would have been in a better place if she had attended this school in her youth. 

Eto let out a sigh an removed those thoughts from her head. She was here on a mission, one she personally volunteered for. She had to keep focused on the mission and not on the past. She could not change that which had happened but still could control her own fate ahead. She giggled once more to herself in gleeful anticipation. "This is going to be fun." 


	26. School Festival Night

It was the night of the big school festival. The whole school lively with the students going to visit all the stalls and meeting their relatives. The sun had just gone down and yet the entire school was more active than ever. The grounds were filled with different stands and stations that hosted a variety of different activities. All of which were meticulously planned and approved by the now dissolved Festival Planning Committee. Only one club knew of the tragic truth about the hard work those now deceased had put into planning out all of it. At least half of the stands were vendors selling food while the others were special activities planned by the different clubs. Each club had its own stand somewhere on the grounds either selling a product or doing something to garner the attention of possible new members.

For the students this was a joyous time. The entire school felt much more lax during this time of festivity. Usually the day the day grind wore on the students. Plus there was always the constant threat of danger in some form such as fights of disappearances. But now everything was so much more lighthearted. The routine anxieties simply seemed to disappear for the few days that the school festival commenced. The negative air was replaced with good vibes and joyous times. Students and staff alike celebrated while being blissfully unaware how close they had come to annihilation. 

Every club at the school was operating some sort of stand. The various martial arts clubs such as the Kendo Club and Karate Club were doing displays and mock fights in an attempt to draw in more members. The cooking club was running the largest food stand at the festival. It was a small outdoor kitchen with multiple benches under a massive red and yellow tent. Essentially it was a makeshift restaurant serving many different dishes and brought in a large profit for the club. Each club participated in some fashion that was substantial to the clubs activities. Then there was the Newspaper Club. None of its club members had come up with an idea for their stand at the school's festival. This was partially due to the most of its members having to deal with ANTI-THESIS for most of the semester. Thus the task fell upon their sensei. However her decision had been more based around her personal interests than the activities of the club.

Gin solely attended the fishing stand of which Nekonome was the only patron. Gin simply sat down on a mat and watched as his sensei fished in the small tank for goldfish. Once the tank started getting empty Gin would simply fill it with more fish that was kept in several separate backup tanks. However at the rate she was going Nekonome was liable to empty out the entire stock. Gin didn't mind that so much as at least their stand was going to be a total waste. It was simply all going to be their sensei's dinner that evening. Gin hoped that meant he would not have to work this stand for the next two nights. "Keep 'em coming Morioka-san!" Nekonome ordered. Gin let out a sigh and grabbed one of the backup tanks, fishing out the spares with a net before dumping them into the larger tank. Nekonome happily resumed her fishing while a listless Gin sat by idly. 

Eventually one more person visited their stand, approaching Gin directly. He looked up to see a girls just slightly older than him with dark blue hair. She had a polka-dot ribbon tied in the back of her hair and blue eyes that matched her hair. Though she was older she actually had the appearance of the underclassman with a smaller build and many cute features. With a bright smile she held up a large blank sheet notepad in front of her. " _Hi Gin!_ " Was written on the sheet showing.

"San-senpai!" Gin greeted her enthusiastically, jumping and pulling her into an embrace. Nekonome looked over to the two of them and smiled at her old student.

"Oh, hello Otonashi-san!" Nekonome greeted her. "What brings you back here?" Sun quickly scribbled on her notepad.

" _I thought i'd come back and see how you all are doing._ " She wrote in response. 

"Well we're glad to see you again. How about we go meet the other members?" GIn suggested. "Sensei, would be alright if I stepped out for a bit?" 

"Well since Otonashi-san is visiting I suppose I can allow it. Besides, things are pretty slow here anyway." Nekonome answered. 

"Great, let's go meet the rest of the club!" Gin left the stall walking side by side with his old senpai while Nekonome happily continued to fish. The pair of old friends spent the next few minutes trying to find the others club members while shooting the breeze. The two of them old each other what had happened since San had graduated. She was currently living with a friend in the human world, working and living at a small beachside hotel that her friend owned. Gin informed her of the fate of the other club members and her heart had sunk at the news. He also told her of the club's retribution and defeat of Kuyou which helped slightly. Still, it did not erase the memory of their now deceased friends. 

After several minutes of searching the two of them found the remaining club members. At least a majority of them as Kaneki seemed to be absent. The girls of the club were all sitting together at a picnic table. Kurumu sat one one end with her head rest on the table. Moka sat on the edge of the table portion near Kurumu, looking outward into the distance with a far away expression in her eyes. Mizore sat on the same side as Kurumu though she was facing away from the table with her chin resting between her hands. Yukari sat on the opposite raising her head up with one hand and had a pouting look on her face. They all looked miserable. Gin decided to go introduce them to their senpai in order to attempt to cheer them up.

"Hey guys." Gin waved and greeted them. There was no response. "I want to introduce someone to you. This here is Otonashi San, she's my senpai who graduated before you all came here." Gin introduced his friend who gave a polite little bow in return. The girls of the club all gave a small 'Hey' or 'Hi' in quiet and disheartened voices, not even bothering to look over. "What's with everyone, and where is Kaneki?" Gin asked, upset by their melancholic moods. 

"He's gone." Moka told him blankly, as if her mind was wandering somewhere far away. "He told us that he did want to put us in any more danger and then he left." Moka's voice was crestfallen, deeply hurt by Kaneki's actions. Gin let out a sigh. 

"I'll go and talk some sense into him, just wait here." He announced his decision before turning and leaving with San just as quickly as he had arrived. The girls did not react at all hardly even taking notice of their visiting senpai and his senpai as well. They were all too caught up in their dear friends departure of their club, leaving them in order to try and save them. They knew he meant well but in the end he only wound up being the one that hurt them. 

"Do you think he can get Kanki-kun to come back?" Yukari asked. 

"I doubt it." Kurumu responded in a melancholic manner. "That airhead was never good at much. I doubt Kaneki will come back because of him."

"So it seems that Kaneki Ken has left his friends behind." A female voice called from above. The Newspaper Club members below all looked up to the roof of the school too see a small figure sitting on the roof above them. The girls all stood up from the table and Mizore took an extra step back when she recognized the figure sitting casually on the roof. "In order to try and protect them he does what he wanted to protect them from. Truly fitting for such an incongruous existence." She stood up and stared down upon them like a bird of prey. Kurumu noticed the fearful look in Mizore's eyes and her uncontrollable shaking.

"Mizore-chan, who is that?" Kurumu asked. 

"She... she's the one who injured Banjou-san back at the lab." Mizore identified the hooded figure. "She's with Aogiri!" The others all looked frightened now as they started to comprehend the danger they were in. Eto jumped off the roof and landed gracefully below despite the hard impact. The others all took another half-step back as the danger approached. 

"My mission was to come here and secure him, but it seems that he's not here now." Eto began. "Though he's sure to come out once I display your corpses." She began to fidget spastically before her body began to transform physically. The purple robe draped around her tore along with the bandages that covered the rest of her body. She became much larger that before, surpassing her targets in sheer size. Her face was till masked behind a white solid substance that covered her face, leaving only her right eye showing as a single kakugan. The other eye had three slit marks over it but did not glow red. Two large curved blades grew from her shoulders and pointed towards the ground as she stood there. This was her kakuja form, a large physically imposing creature with two blades growing from her ukaku kagune. Her targets all now looked more frightened then ever before as she revealed this overwhelming power to the near helpless high school students.

* * *

Kaneki stood on the roof of the school, on an end far away from the rest of his friends. He was standing along the edge of the roof, staring out into the distance with a forlorn look in his eyes. He was lost in his thoughts as they wandered from one worry of his to another. He was plotting on how he should go about dealing with Aogiri as they would be the next threat which he would have to deal with. He could stay at Youkai Academy during the winter break but hiding was not his way. He was sure that he could get to the human world again and begin to deal with the large underground force of ghouls. Kaneki also wanted to find out what their true intentions are and what Kanou's words meant when they met in the lab. Indeed they would be the most serious threat to not only him but his friends at Anteiku and the whole city of Tokyo.

Kaneki's other concerns were with his friends at Youkai Academy. He was not oblivious to the pain he had caused them, but he believed that things were better off this way. He knew that if they stayed around him they would be in very real physical danger and could even lose their lives. It was not a speculation, he knew that his enemies would be willing to use his friends in order to get to him. Kaneki would not have that and decided to leave them behind for their own safety. Though he knew with her rosary removed Moka was a forced to be reckoned with Kaneki could not say the same about the others. Though they had held their own during their fights in the basement of Kanou's mansion they still lacked the raw and overwhelming power Moka possessed. He felt as if it would not be fair to her or the others if he asked Moka to solely accompany him on his endeavors. Thus he had made the decision to bear all of the burden and responsibilities alone. 

"You and that morose look of yours." Gin's voice interrupted his thinking. Kaneki looked over to see Gin standing of the roof nearby with an unknown blue haired and fair woman standing behind him. Even with his musingly disapproving tone Gin was still smiling.

"What are you doing here Gin-senpai?" Kaneki asked in an impassive tone. "Who's that with you?"

"This is Otonashi San, she was my senpai before you guys came along. I was going to introduce her to all you but then I go and find the girls all sad and moping because you decided to leave out club." Gin explained. 

"I'm sorry Gin-senpai." Kaneki apologized, turning to look outwards once more. "I just can't put them in any more danger of my behalf. The last time was too close." Gin did not know the details of what had transpired at the head master's mansion that night but he did know of his club members' dealings with ANTI-THESIS and that news had been going around that said gang of monstrels had been defeated. So he was able to understand the gist of what Kaneki had meant. 

"You idiot." Gin chastised him, now approaching Kaneki. "Do you think they were unaware of what might have happened to them every time they put themselves in danger? They all knew that they could have died when we were in Tokyo and when you guys fought ANTI-THESIS. Everyone was willing to put their lives on the line so that they could help you and so that you wouldn't have to go at it alone." Gin explained. "I understand you're trying to play the hero and burden everything yourself, but that's what you have friends for. To help you carry those burdens, just as you would for them." 

Kaneki felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see San standing next to him now. She had a serious look about her as she held up her notepad and showed it to Kaneki. " _Kaneki-san, Gin is right!_ " Was written on the first page. She flipped it to reveal more on the next sheet. " _Your friends are very important and you should not abandon them because you are afraid of them getting hurt. Otherwise you'll just be the one hurting them._ " She explained. Kaneki fell silent for but a few brief moments as he turned his gaze to the distance and sighed. 

"They must be pretty upset then." Kaneki hypothesized.

"Yeah, they all looked miserable." Gin answered. 

"I should probably go apologize then." Kaneki realized. 

"I'd think so." Gin agreed. "All they want is for you to return. I'm sure after that everything will go back to normal."

* * *

The others were all struggling to fend off Eto in her kakuja form. In fact it would be more appropriate for one to say that they were simply doing their best to avoid being struck. Her kakuja form was far more powerful than Kaneki's half complete form. One blow from her would be all it would take for them to go down, even if it wasn't a fatal blow. Her sheer power could seen by the speed and force of her blows even though none of them landed. Eto was both fast and powerful, surpassing all of them by far. Moka knew if she was in her released form them she would be able to deal with the ghoul. She knew that it would be a tougher fight than the one she had with Shachi but she would still likely win. However she was trapped and helpless without Kaneki around to remove her rosary.

Thus she could do nothing more than dodge the powerful attacks while the others all gave their futile attempts to strike back. Mizore created ice along the ground that shot up in large spikes, attempting to pierce the thick kakuja armor. They many spikes all broke off against her thick hide and shattered in a multitude of useless pieces. Kurumu took to the air and was trying to find and opening to take a swipe with her claws. When she finally found her opening she took in, swooping in from above and slashing Eto across the back just below her kakuhou. Her claws were just as useless as Mizore's ice and simply scratched the armor. Yukari managed to summon a large metal pot above Eto's head and it crashed with a loud clang. Though that was from the pot itself denting and the large ghoul was completely unfazed. 

All of their combined power was nowhere near enough to take down the excessively powerful kakuja before them. It felt hopeless. It would only be a matter of time before they exhausted themselves and would no longer be able to dodge Eto's powerhouse attacks. In fact in only a couple minutes they were sweating and out of breath, even Kurumu who had been in the skies for most of the skirmish. She had been forced to land after Eto started firing off shards of her kagune in a long range attack. Now they were all standing in a group face to face with a far too powerful opponent for them. All of their attempts to take her down had been fruitless and now they were practically staring their death in the face. 

Eto moved forward to attack but then stopped abruptly. She then launched herself backward and avoiding an aerial attack from a half transformed Gin. His arms were larger and covered in hair that reached up to the sides of his head. His attack was strong enough that Eto had to dodge it in order to avoid damage. Gin's body reverted back to normal for the time being. The girls were all surprised to see him suddenly appear and save them. "I don't know who you are, but I won't let anyone hurt my club members." Gin declared. The others heard footsteps approaching rapidly and they turned to see Kaneki and San approaching them. 

"Kaneki?" Moka asked as she looked rather shocked. Kaneki came to halt right next to her, meeting her gaze as she continued to look dumbfounded as to why he had returned. Kaneki offered her a gentle smile. 

"Moka-chan, i'm sorry for trying to leave you and everyone else behind." Kaneki apologized. "I just wanted to protect my friends, but I never really took your feelings into consideration. I'm sorry." Moka was silent for a moment, overwhelmed with relief. She thought about how she should reply, to show him how glad she truly was to have him decide to stay a part of her life.

"Kaneki-kun, I-" 

"You idiot!" Kurumu shouted and she lunged herself at him and latched onto him. Kaneki nearly fell over from the surprise of Kurumu's hug and the force with which she latched onto him. "Don't ever do anything like that again!" Kaneki's initial shock quickly faded and he smiled as Kurumu reunited with him in her own way. 

"Don't worry, I won't." He reassured her. Kaneki then gently got her to release her grip as he stepped forward to face the enemy who was threatening his friends. "You're with Aogiri, aren't you?" Kaneki addressed Eto. 

"She's the one who nearly killed Banjou-san." Mizore informed him. "Though I never saw this kakuja form of hers last time." 

"So it seems that even your friends are familiar with the concept of a kakuja." Eto noticed, taking a step forward now. "But do you know what happens when you evolve past that first kakuja state?" Her whole body twitched and the others could only watch in both shock and horror as her body changed into a state beyond that of a kakuja. She became even larger yet and grew another set of blades from her shoulder that were identical to the first set. Her mask transformed too, growing the three slit markings on both sides as her single kakugan eye shifted into the center of her mask. Four horns grew from the top of the mask that now engulfed her head. She let out a roar from this new form that could be best described as a massive beast. Seeking only to tear apart its target with unrelenting force.

"The hell is that? That does even look like a ghoul anymore." Gin stated in shock. 

"I know this will be a tough fight." Moka began as she lightly grabbed onto Kaneki's right arm. "But if you remove my rosary then i'm sure I can still win. So please Kaneki-kun, let me fight alongside you." She gave him a determined look, ready to use her full power to save her friends. Kaneki smiled back and and grabbed her wrist. He released her grip from him before stepping forward to take on the beast alone. Moka had an aghast look on her face as she realized this and he was once more out of her reach. "What are you doing? That thing will kill you."

"You've already done more than enough for me. So this time just stay back and let me handle it Moka-chan." Kaneki told her, his voice smooth and with an unwavering calm. Eto in her monstrous second kakuja body grinned as Kaneki faced her alone. She lunged at him with great speed, so much so that Mizore, Kurumu, and Yukari would not have been able to dodge. She struck with her left arm making a chopping motion to strike him in the stomach. Her attack connected but not with the area she had intended to strike. Instead Kaneki raised his own left hand and blocked the attack. His fingers dug into her thickened hide and he latched onto the side of her massive hand. Eto struggled as she attempted to pull away from him but it was no use. She was stuck in his inexplicably strong grip. Even with all the strength in this form she was unable to pull free of him.

"Did you really think I would let you get away with trying to hurt my friends?" Kaneki asked in a threatening tone. Eto glared at him with that single kakugan as he had her trapped. Then everyone looked on with amazement with what happened next. Kaneki's hair color changed right before their very eyes. It was not as prominent as the shift from black to white as before. Instead this time a shade of silver glossed over his head and all of his hair was now that silver color, one that looked identical in color to the inner Moka's. He looked up at Eto with a furious expression and even though her head was monstrous the surprise was still plain to see. Not from his anger but that fact that his left eye was now in its ghoul form while the right was red with a slit pupil. Kaneki clenched his right hand and struck the kakuja in the face with such great force that she was launched across the yard and crashed into the school. The impact was so great that it formed a crater against the wall where she had been thrown to and the massive evolved kakuja's body went limp. "Know your place!"

In a single strike Kaneki had defeated Eto. That in and of itself was impressive enough to leave the others in a stupor. But that was not why they had fallen silent with aghast expressions. He turned back and smiled to Moka showing both of his eyes. Moka stared in utter shock as she had fully understood the situation. The Kaneki that stood before her was now both a ghoul and a vampire. "Kaneki..." Her voice was softer than usual. "You... you're a vampire now."

"That's right." He replied. "I guess it was thanks to you back when we fought Hokuto."

"But then does that mean because of me you no longer have any of your humanity left?" Moka asked troubledly .

"It's fine." Kaneki reassured her. "In fact you've given me the strength to continue fighting and to protect everyone. So thank you Moka-chan." She was speechless after that. Her initial thought was that she must have unknowingly erased the last bit of Kaneki's humanity which he barely seemed able to hold onto anymore. She was greatly relieved to hear that he was not angry, and in fact embraced this change. She gave him a warm smile back as she was filled with joy as he had returned better than ever. Their moment was interrupted when they head the sounds of something shifting over by Eto. Her kakuja form was breaking away, the hardened white skin made from Rc Cells decayed into pieces and tiny fragments that quickly became nothing. The large robe that covered the beast was torn into nothing more than scraps of fabric from Kaneki's attack. As the last remaining fragments of her evolved kakuja body broke away the real Eto fell to the ground.

She was a girl with a smaller figure who seemed to resemble someone around their age when in fact she was actually older. Her hair was long and green in color, flowing down the length of her back. It was a good thing that she landed face down because her hair was pretty much the only thing covering her. A few remnants of the bandages that covered her at first remained yet they left nothing to the imagination. There was a practically naked girl laying unconscious on the ground in front of them. 

"Nice." Gin admired with a grin. His response was met with a punch in the shoulder from San. "Ow!" 

"Hey, just where do you think you're looking?!" Kurumu shouted at Kaneki as she noticed him starting to stare at the indecent girl on the ground. Kaneki was still in shock, even after Kurumu tried to get his attention. He had recognized the girl before them who had tried to attack his friends.

"That's... that's Takatsuki Sen." He told the others. 

"You mean that author you really like?" Mizore asked for clarification. 

"Yeah." Kaneki nodded. They all stared at her in shock. Even San who had just met everyone save for Gin had heard of Takatsuki Sen before. She was very popular among the human world and most everyone knew her name. It was a shock to think that she was not only a ghoul in secret but one of the higher authorities of Aogiri Tree. It was not something anyone could have anticipated. In fact Kaneki was more shocked by it than anyone else. Takatsuki Sen was one of, if not his biggest idol. Her admired her works and had been a fan of hers for many years. It was unthinkable for her to turn out to be an enemy who had nearly killed Banjou and now attempted to kill his friends at Youkai Academy. 

"What should we do with her?" Moka asked. Kaneki thought about it for a brief moment. He could kill her here and now and be done with it. But that would prove to be tactically disadvantageous. Instead Kaneki thought it best to capture her while she was out cold and questions her when she awoke. Being one of the higher ranking members of Aogiri Tree she was sure to be a cache of information about the organization. Kaneki knew what needed to be done. 


	27. The True Enemy

When Takatsuki Sen awoke she had been relocated to one of the classrooms within Youkai Academy. She was now redressed in a purple cloak similar to the one she wore while arriving at the school. Her arms were bound behind her and she found herself sitting down on a chair. She struggled against the binds around her wrists but could not move them even an inch. She turned her head back to find that they were magical in origin and beyond her comprehension. She then looked to see a group of people standing before her. They were the Newspaper Club whom she had previously tried to kill. San had returned home now as it was late in the evening and the first day of the school's festival had come to an end. Now its current members had Sen hostage and magically bound to a chair. She clearly remembered all the events that had transpired. Coming to the school in order to track down Kaneki, attacking his friends to lure him out, then Kaneki pulling a surprise victory with his new found strength. 

Takatsuki Sen smirked as she realized her situation. It was not a smile to mock her captors but one that came from realizing how the tables had turned on her so quickly. "Oh I see." Were her first words. "So this is how it is."

"I take it you remember me Takatsuki-san?" Kaneki addressed her in a authoritative tone, expressing his control over the situation. 

"Indeed." She responded. "I even recognized you that day you came to my book signing. I was quite surprised as you can imagine." 

"I'm not here to make small talk." Kaneki told her sternly.

"Of course. You kept me alive and brought me here so I could answer your questions." Eto was quite cognizant on her current position. She was a prisoner now. She had been defeated fairly in battle by Kaneki and was now powerless to escape whatever fate he would decide her. Even if she could escape her magical bindings she was no longer able to defeat Kaneki in battle. He would again easily overpower her and most likely would not let her live a second time. She was in a position where she was forced to answer their questions. Though part of it was also due to the fact she was actually impressed she had been defeated so easily. She admired strength and Kaneki certainly fit that criteria. 

"First tell me who's really in charge." Kaneki ordered. "Who is the One-Eyed King?" Sen grinned and closed her eyes before answering.

"You have already met them." She told him. Before he could respond she opened her eyes and revealed a single ghoul's eye on her right. " _I_ am the One-Eyed King." The others all looked shocked when she revealed this to them. They knew they had captured one of the higher ups of Aogiri Tree. They were astonished that this girl who was a famous author in the human world was also the leader of an underground army of ghouls. "To most of the members I am simply a higher ranking member who works under Tatara. In truth however Tatara works under me, and only he and Noro know the One-Eyed King's true identity." She elaborated. 

"Then tell me what are you really trying to accomplish?" Kaneki continued to interrogate her. 

"I believe Kanou already told you. We are trying to eliminate the birdcage which this world is trapped in." She answered. 

"What birdcage, what did he mean by that?" 

"Hmm, how would I best describe it?" She thought to herself for a second. "I believe I should tell you a story, one that will answer almost all your questions." 

"What are you getting at?" Kurumu reprimanded her, taking a step forward. Kaneki extended his arm and blocked her path as a gesture to hold her back. He shook his head and caused Kurumu to back off. He then turned his attention back to their prisoner. 

"Fine, go ahead." He decided and Sen nodded back.

"Our story begins many years ago with a ghoul by the name of Kuzen." She began. "Kuzen was an exceptionally strong ghoul, spending most of his life as a bruiser on the streets. Few opponent could stand in his way. This strength attracted the attention of an organization known only by the name of V. The hired him as a cleaner for their organization, taking out those they saw as a threat or who had betrayed the organization. Kuzen was able to make more than a meager living with his new job but that did not change the fact that the life of a ghoul was a solitary one. For him though that changed one fateful day. He went in to a humble coffee shop one day and met a woman named Ukina. She radiated grace and charity, and she became the light in his otherwise dismal world. Eventually she found out the truth about him, yet she decided to stay with him regardless. The two of them lived quite happily together for awhile."

"What does any of this have to do with what we're asking?" Gin asked in a tone that made it evident he was getting bored with this story already. 

"Then one day she brought up the subject of children with him." Eto continued, completely ignoring Gin. "I'm sure you must know this by now, but ghouls and humans can not create life through the natural process. The day came when Ukina came forward and told him that she was with child. He explained to her that without the proper nutrition a ghoul child requires it would not survive in the womb. She was devastated after he explained it to her. In order for the child to be a born a miracle needed to occur. Ukina then sought to create her own miracle. Kuzen came home one day to find her feasting upon the flesh of her fellow man." 

The others in the club all were quite surprised by that turn of events. Even Kaneki who ate humans to survive was astonished that a human would actually turn to cannibalism. He was not unaware of the fact that it was possible and that there were the few twisted individuals who would indulge in the practice. But this was not the tale of a deranged psychopath but of a mother who's maternal instincts were so strong it drove her to the realm of the unthinkable for the sake of her unborn child. 

"Thus through her own intervention a healthy child was born. For once in his life Kuzen actually had a family and he was happy. But moments of happiness do not last for long and after often interrupted when darkness of the world seeps back in. The organization V had found out that Ukina was not who she claimed to be but was in truth a journalist seeking answers about V. Thus they gave him one simple order. To kill his wife and prove his loyalty to them. Despite his own feelings Kuzen knew that the organization was too powerful to fight against. In order to protect his child he was forced to slay his own wife. He knew the organization would never approve of the child they had and he had to make a decision once more. While he killed the mother, he decided to save the child by hiding her. He took her into Tokyo's underground, the 24th ward and left her there, even though she was but an infant. Kuzen left after that and never saw his daughter again." Eto finally finished her narrative with a small grin still on her face. 

"What happened to the child?" Mizore asked.

"That child would be me." Eto answered. "The story I have told you is completely true and I learned this through the one thing my father left me. My mother's diary." 

"That's a very sad story and all but it didn't answer anything I asked." Kaneki sounded a tad irate.

"Ah, but if you were listening closely I did answer you." Eto replied. "You asked me what Kanou meant when he said this world was trapped by a birdcage. There lies an allusion in that story where you find your answer." 

"I think I get it." Moka stepped forward. "That organization V you mentioned, they're some sort of secret society that controls the human world without their knowing." 

Eto nodded. "Correct." She returned. "V is quite a powerful and influential organization. They themselves are comprised of mostly ghouls, but they have a few humans who work as spies for them. In fact they even have their fingers sunk into the CCG and have control over a few of their higher ranking members." Kaneki was quickly coming to realize how bad this group really was. Aogiri Tree had been bad enough with practically overthrowing one of the wards in Tokyo and declaring war on the CCG. But now there was a shadow organization that was pulling the strings from the dark. They were an unknown factor and Kaneki had no idea if they were dangerous or not. In fact they could turn out not to be evil at all and Aogiri Tree was truly the problem.

"Wondering if they're a threat to you or not?" Eto inquired, as if she was practically reading his thoughts. Reading people was something she had become quite skilled at in her years. Reading peoples emotions and deciphering their thoughts were two skills she often used to manipulate others and get things done. Kaneki was surprised that she had read him so easily just from one look. "The answer to that would be yes. Though i'm more their priority because I was born naturally between a human and a ghoul as well as the fact that I created Aogiri Tree to combat their organization. However, once they learn that you are both ghoul and human they will not allow you to live. Though I suppose in this case I should say you are a ghoul and a vampire." She remarked slyly. 

"Why would they target one-eyed ghouls?" Kaneki asked. 

"We pose a threat to their goals. They believe that the only way for ghouls to continue to survive in this world is to maintain a balance. Both humans and ghouls believe that ghouls are being hunted to extinction and that they likely will not be around in twenty years or so.  However V works in the shadows to keep the ghoul population to a minimum and try to keep a balance between the deaths of both humans and ghouls alike. Their goal in to keep this balance and keep our race around."

"So they they believe keeping ghouls down is for their own good? I suppose there's some truth in that." Kaneki realized. "But that doesn't make it right, plus if they're going to come after me one day I suppose i'll have to deal with them." 

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Gin asked. "Going after Aogiri Tree was one thing, but you heard her. This V controls the government and the CCG, they're even more powerful and they operate in the shadows. Taking on a group like that will be far more dangerous than any rebel ghoul army." Gin was right with that. V was essentially a shadow government and had influences in many places, including the government. Taking on a group like that would be no easy task but what other choice would there be? Kaneki had thought it be best to go after them before they start to come after him and possibly even his friends.

"I am." He answered firmly before turning back to Sen. "You said that this man Kuzen used to work for them. If we're going to find out more about V then I think we should track him down. Do you know where I can find him?" She grinned from ear to ear after hearing his request.

"I do. After leaving the organization he opened up a small coffee shop in memory of his wife. Would you like to know this name of this shop?" Kaneki nodded and Eto's voice dropped lower. "Anteiku." 

Kaneki could feel his heart skip a beat and he let out a gasp at her revelation. Now it was all coming together. That was why Kanou knew Yoshimura's name and how the manager was connected to Aogiri Tree. Kaneki's manager and owner of the small coffee shop was once a cleaner for V and had connections to them. In fact he was Kuzen in the story that Sen had just told them. Putting all of that together really put a spin on things, even with how he felt about the whole situation.

"You mean that nice old man we met back in Tokyo..." Moka too was completely shocked. "He worked for this V organization?"

"That also means... you're his daughter." Kaneki comprehended the facts within her story. 

"That is correct." She nodded. "Takatsuki Sen is simply an alter ego that I use to fit into the human world. Honestly I never expected my works to get as popular as they did." 

"So now we know the truth, about how Aogiri was formed and that V is who we really need to worry about." Gin summarized. "We also have a lead on them with your old manager. But what do we do about her?" His eyes focused on Eto who was still bound to the chair by magical binds. 

"I say we let her here!" Yukari suggested. "There's no way she can escape my magic keeping her there." Kaneki stared at Eto as he thought about it. She was still grinning, even in her current situation. She knew that she could easily be killed as she was, especially with Kaneki's superior strength. Yet still it did not seem to phase her, as if she was happy with the outcome. Or perhaps she was simply mocking them to cope with being their prisoner. She was quite a clever individual and capable of mental manipulation. Nevertheless, Kaneki had already made his decision about how to deal with her.

"Let her go." All other heads in the room turned to him with bewildered looks. Even Eto who had remained calm though most of her endeavor suddenly looker surprised as she heard Kaneki utter those words. Even she was expecting to be killed or at the least be kept as their prisoner. Yet Kaneki had instead decided to simply allow her to leave now that they were done questioning her. As far as his fellow club members went, their disapproval was made clear by the looks they were giving him. 

"What? How can you say that?" Moka protested. "She nearly killed us!"

"She's dangerous!" Yukari added. 

"I too must agree that this is a bad idea." Mizore voiced her own complaint. Kaneki was the only one for letting her go, save for Miss Tatsuki respectively. Most of them had experienced just how much of a threat she could be. Even Gin who had not fought against her knew that she was a dangerous individual, especially with a second kakuja form that was only bested by a vampire. Gin was not sure if even he could have defeated her when she took that form. Kaneki and Moka were the only ones capable of taking her down in a direct fight. That made the others who could not defend themselves uneasy. 

"I said let her go." Kaneki declared a second time. "She already lost, she can't beat us." He reminded them before he turned his attention to their hostage. "I know you're not stupid, in fact pretty far from it. I'm sure you're aware what will happen if you try to attack us if we let you go." She nodded while still looking a bit surprised. 

"But why?" She asked in with bewilderment. "Why are you sparing me? I know how you are, you should just kill me here."

"That is what I probably would have chosen, to kill you in retribution and make sure you never threaten anyone again." Kaneki agreed with her statement. "But knowing the truth about you I can't help but feel sad. You've had a hard life all for reasons that you could not control. It was all pretty unfair to you. Besides, you're the manager's daughter. I don't think I could face him if I struck you down in cold blood." Kaneki directed his attention to Yukari. "Would you please release her binds?" The little witch scowled but agreed with reluctance. With a wave of her wand the bindings around Eto's wrists vanished and she was freed. She rubbed her wrists as was common for someone after being bound by their wrists. She then stood up as the others all watched her carefully.

"Be warned though Tatsuki-san." Kaneki's voice suddenly shifted into a more solemn tone. "This is a one time deal. If you ever come after me or my friends again I won't be so generous." She was silent as she stared back at him, still in a state of shock from his uncharacteristic behavior. She left without another word, the only sound being left in her wake was the closing of the door behind her as she departed. She was gone now and they all hoped that they would not have to see her again. 

"That was pretty nice of you." Gin complimented Kaneki's releasing of their prisoner. "Too bad no good deed goes unpunished." 

"If she comes back we'll be more than capable of dealing with her again." Kaneki told him. "Right now we have other things to worry about. One much bigger problem."

"Organization V." Kurumu spoke their name aloud. "They sound pretty dangerous. But I suppose that doesn't really matter to you." She knew Kaneki well enough to know he would jump headfirst into danger if it meant protecting his friends or doing what was right. Though he may be merciless to his enemies and those that would hurt others he was never cruel simply for the sake of being cruel. He simply did what he thought to be necessary. 

"It does bother me, I just won't let it stop me." Kaneki replied. 

"Well we know you could ask your manager once you return to the human world but that'll be two years from now." Moka reminded him. "A lot can happen in that time."

"No, I have plan to return there before that." Kaneki announced. "Everyone should go back to their dorms now, you've all done enough. Tomorrow I have to pay someone a visit."


	28. Debt to Repay

Mikogami Tenmei sat in the tranquility of the office within his manor. It was his most private space where he would come to do work in solitude away from everyone. Though the estate was barred off from the rest of the campus his office was even more isolated than the rest of the manor. His bodyguards often roamed the halls and the only place he truly felt at peace was within his office. His guards stayed away from the office an would only disturb him if it were an important matter. To the headmaster his personal office was the most sacred room in his manor.

It was quite a large and spacious office too that was just as decorated as the rest of the estate. The floor was a white marble and there were a total of six columns along the walls. Four in each corner and two placed in the center walls perpendicular to the door. His dark oak sat in the back of the room on the opposite end as the entrance. There was a large window behind him which provided more than adequate lighting for the room. He kept it quiet while he was working, preferring to work in peace and quiet. Concentration was needed in order to run a secret school for youkai.

There was a knock at the door, interrupting the quiet of the office. "Enter." Mikogami ordered from within. The door creaked open and one his many guards appeared within the doorway. 

"Sir, Kaneki Ken is requesting to see you." The guard informed Mikogami.

"Send it him." Mikogami instructed with a grin. The guard nodded silently before departing, closing the door behind him as he left. Kaneki Ken was a student Mikogami would gladly make time for if possible. He did in fact owe his student more that just his life. He imagined Kaneki had thought of some way for for the headmaster to repay him. The headmaster was surprised that Kaneki had decided on how to use his favor so quickly. When the door creaked open again Mikogami saw Kaneki standing there dressed in his school uniform. "Greetings Kaneki Ken. Please, take a seat." He invited the teenage boy into his office. Kaneki walked over to Mikogami's desk and took a seat opposite to him. "I assume you are here because you have thought of a way in which I can repay you." 

"That's right." Kaneki answered. "Our winter break starts in two days. During that first day I want permission to return to the human world." 

"Hmmm." Kaneki could see the headmaster's face become solemn was he contemplated the request. Kaneki surmised that the headmaster most likely would not deny his request. He owed Kaneki far too dearly to do such a thing unless Kaneki had requested something truly outrageous. "Would you like some tea?" He offered politely. "Let me call my assistant." Mikogami pressed a button on a speaker on his desk and the device let out a beep to signal that it was working. "Would you please prepare some tea for me and my guest?" There was no response from the other end but Mikogami continued to speak to Kaneki, assuming that his assistant had heard. "So you wish to return to human world once more?" He noted that he was aware of their previous excursion to the human world. "Why do want to do that?"

"There are some things I need to figure out, questions I have to ask someone." Kaneki answered obscurely. 

"You mean the organization known as V, correct?" The headmaster unveiled his own knowledge of the organization, which surprised Kaneki. Though the headmaster had tracked down Kaneki and brought him to Youkai in the first place so it would make sense for someone like him to also know about V. He was a man who knew many things and made it his job to keep track of that which was of interest to him. 

"So you know about them too headmaster-sama?" Kaneki inquired.

"Indeed, i've known of their existence for awhile now. Though as far as detail as concerned i've only been informed as recently as you have." Kaneki was confused by the headmaster's statement. The explanation he was looking for opened the door and entered the room before he could even begin to ponder what the headmaster had told him. Mikogami's assistant had entered the room carrying a silver tray with two empty porcelain cups and a silver pot holding hot water, as well as two tea bags.

"I've brought the tea you asked for." A familiar female voice called out. Kaneki turned around in his seat and saw an instantly recognizable women with long green hair.

"Tatsuki-san?" Kaneki was shocked to see her again, especially in the headmaster's estate. 

"Long time to see Kaneki Ken." She greeted him facetiously. She walked past him and placed the tray on the headmaster's desk. She then put a tea bag in each cup and poured the water out into the cups. After both cups were full she placed the pot back on the tray and handed the other two their cups. "Your tea." She offered as she did so, acting in a manner that seemed most unbecoming of her. She was acting the past of a proper assistant or even a servant. Before she had given the impression of someone more sinister, a manipulator and mastermind. Now she appeared much more proper refined as she acted the part of an employee rather than a villain in the shadows.

Though the fact that she was there before him surprised him even more than her unusual air. He had assumed that after he had her released she wold return to Tokyo and to Aogiri. Why would she be here now, and why was she the headmaster's assistant? Had this always been and was it all part of Mikogami's plans? Perhaps she had just joined forces with him to benefit her. Or was she just playing him a fool and working her ways to use him? 

"Eto-san, Kaneki-san here is requesting to return to the human world for a day in order to pursue answers about V." Mikogami informed his assistant. "In fact he seems to have someone in mind that he would like to have a talk with." 

"Is that so?" She asked with a grin. "I assume this 'someone' is my father, correct?" Kaneki nodded in response to her hypothesis. 

"Why are you here though Tatsuki-san? How long have you been working for the headmaster?" Kaneki asked, searching for the more immediate answers. 

"As of last night." She informed him. "After you and your friends had released me I wandered the grounds and tried to decide what my next move would be. It was then that the headmaster approached me and made me an offer. I would have access to the knowledge of this world and in exchange I would work under him."

"A mutually beneficial arrangement." The headmaster summarized. "She shared with me her own knowledge of V and together we were able to uncover something not yet known. Something that will put a whole spin on things. I will let my assistant explain." He sat back in his chair as he let her weave a tale.

"Let me start by asking this. Do you know where ghouls come from?" Kaneki pondered that for a moment and tried to recall anything he had heard about the history of ghouls. It was not a subject that had ever truly come up before. As a human ghouls were simply a fact he had to live with, he never really asked about them or wanted to know anything more. After the incident he had learned to adjust to this new way or life but had never actually learned the history of ghouls. He was not that surprised as he knew ghouls were creatures that lived in the shadows and most likely did not keep records of their history. Instead they had to concentrate their effort on just trying to survive in the human's world. 

"I had heard that we come from vampires and that we're fairly similar." He managed to recall. "That's about it."

"Indeed, though in your case you are even more similar." She remarked. "It is true, ghouls come from vampires and for the youkai races this is a well known fact. But we did not evolve of mutate from them as most species do. Another question, have you ever read Bram Stroker's Dracula?" 

"Of course, it's a classic." Kaneki replied. 

"Indeed, it is considered a classical piece of fiction by humans. But knowing that vampires do in fact exist the possibility presents itself that it may not be to fictitious. After doing research into the subject I can tell you that though it is a work of fiction many truths lie within it." She began to explain. "Two hundred years ago a powerful vampire named Dracula was indeed real. He was of a rare bloodline known as the Shinso Vampire, the ancestral line from which all vampires originate. A Shinso Vampire is far more powerful that regular vampires, in fact they are leagues ahead. Alucard was the first Shinso and the oldest known vampires. This made him extremely powerful, far beyond anything which you or I have ever seen. He increased his power by absorbing youkai of many races and eventually he became a monster, hardly even recognizable. He was a threat to the whole world, both that of the humans and youkai. He attempted to wipe out the human race under the belief that coexistence was impossible. The only reason he was thwarted was because of another Shinso who stood up to him alongside two allies. This trio later became known as the Three Dark Lords. One of them is currently in this room."

Her eyes wandered down towards the headmaster. Kaneki recollected on the fight with Hokuto that had taken place in the headmaster's mansion. Hokuto had called the headmaster a Dark Lord, and at the time that held no weight in Kaneki's mind. Not only had he never heard that term before but he was far more focused on his former ally's betrayal. Knowing now the truth about the headmaster's status Kaneki was in awe that Mikogami actually had such power hidden away within him. 

"It is true. I was one of the three who faced off against the monster Alucard." Mikogami admitted flauntingly. 

"Though in truth they were unable to beat him outright." Eto reminded him as she continued her story. "Instead they had sealed him and his power away to rest for all of eternity. Little did they know he had plans to keep his immortality. Before the grand battle he removed one of his legs and attempted to have it regrown a new body. The regenerative powers of a Shinso are far greater than any other youkai. His plan was to force his leg to regenerate another body in order to lone himself. However there was a flaw in the process and something else else came out of it. The very first ghoul also known as the Shinso Ghoul. Though he is our ancestor he is quite different from you or I as he came directly from Alucard. He shares the same immortality as vampires and is nearly as powerful as Alucard himself. I had heard legends and rumors of the Shinso ghoul but I did not know whether or not he was actually real. Now though I can say for a fact he is real and he is the leader of V." 

Kaneki again looked shocked after Eto had told him a tale. "You mean the oldest and first ghoul is the head of V?" He recapitulated her story. 

"That is correct." She confirmed with a nod of the head. "Before coming to this realm I had only heard rumors about the Shinso Ghoul and that he may have been leading V. Now though I can confirm his existence and it is probable that he is in charge of V based on information I have gathered on them." 

"Now let me ask once more." Mikogami cut in. "Even knowing all this do you still wish to visit the human world and pursue V?" Kaneki thought about it before giving his answer. Knowing this it certainly made him more hesitant to go after the organization known only as V. According to Eto the ghoul who led them is the second strongest being ever to have existed, only being surpassed by his creator Alucard. Even with his new vampiric powers Kaneki would still be no match for such an opponent. But what other choice would he have knowing that they would seek him if they knew of his existence. If the headmaster was ale to find him then certainly they would be capable of doing so as well.

"I do." Kaneki's decision was resolute. He refused to sit around and wait in fear. 

"Very well." The headmaster replied with a slight grin. "Then on the first day of your winter break I permit you to return to the human world for twenty-four hours. With that I repay my debt to you. Go to the bus stop at twelve tomorrow afternoon and I will have the bus take you there. That is all, you are dismissed." 

"Thank you headmaster-sama." Kaneki showed his gratitude before standing up and leaving the office. 

* * *

Two days had passed without anything eventful happening. Kaneki was thankful to have a small breather where he did not have to worry about being attacked or dealing with anything major. He simply enjoyed the last two days of the school festival with the club. Though on the day of his meeting with the headmaster he then had to work the stand that their club had set up. He figured it was fair since it was his fault that no one was there on the first night. Again Nekonome was the only customer and fished out their entire supply. Then on the first day he waited by the stop and was seen off by his club.

"Don't leave Kaneki-kun!" Kurumu wailed as she flung herself on him and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"I'm only going to be gone for one day Kurumu-chan." Kaneki reminded her.

"Stop being annoying." Mizore told the succubus as she yanked her off Kaneki. "Are you sure you want to go alone?" She asked.

"Don't worry about me. I'm just going to visit the manager and try to find a lead. I don't plan on getting into much trouble in only one day." Kaneki told her.

"Just please stay safe." Moka asked of him with a worried expression. "Even if it is only one day please be careful."

"Don't worry Moka-chan, I'll come back in one piece." Kaneki reassured her with a smile. 

"Isn't this touching?" Another voice called out. The whole Newspaper Club turned their attention to the path up to see Eto approaching them. The girls all looked frightened and Moka quickly ran behind Kaneki and hid herself. Eto casually strolled over with a smile on her face. She was dressed in a long blue skirt and white dress shirt with a blue ribbon tie that matched her skirt. 

"What is she doing here?" Moka asked fearfully.

"I came here to lay out a few guidelines the headmaster has set." She explained. "After all that is what an assistant does." The other girls all looked confused but she paid them no mind. "The Headmaster is giving you twenty-four hours in the human world. You are to meet the bus at twelve tomorrow in the same spot it drops you off. You are also not to kill anyone while you are there unless you are in danger.

Kaneki nodded. "Got it. Thank you Tatsuki-san." 

"There is one more thing." She added. "Something I feel you should know before you return. It is about the night of the accident." She leaned in close and whispered something in his ear. None of the others picked up what she was saying but they could all see Kaneki's eyes go wide at whatever news she had told him.


	29. The Last One

It was a quiet and slower day for the employees of Anteiku. This listless day felt much needed for the employees of Anteiku as the rest of the week had been rather busy. The past few days they had been swamped with customers and they employees had been working nonstop through most of their shifts. There hardly even felt like times where it would slow down on the last few days. A larger crowd was to be expected though as more people would be drawn to the allure of a warm coffee shop in the cold winter months. There was also the fact that many a students were now entering their winter break as the school year came to a close and they would return the next year in a higher grade. 

But for now they had been fortunate enough to have a slower day in which they did not have to push themselves as hard. Customers came and left throughout the day but they never hard much of a crowd. The day was entering its twilight hours now as the sun began to descend upon the horizon. The workers of the humble coffee shop were starting to wrap up their day as they would be closing within an hour or so. They were tidying up in order to keep the shop in ship shape. Which meant keeping one employee away from anything breakable. 

"Roma." Nishiki called out to their newest employee. Hoito Roma was a slender girl around the age of Nishiki and Kaneki. She had brown hair that grew down to the middle of her neck and was tied in a spiked bun in the back of her head. Her eyes were a shade of brown parallel with that of her hair. Roma faced Nishiki nervously after he called out her name. Roma was a bit of a klutz and had a bad habit of dropping and breaking things around the shop. In fact it had almost become something of a habit for her, which made her fearful whenever she heard Nishiki call her name as he tended to be the one to chastise her. "I didn't see you drop any dishes today, good job." He instead complimented her improvement. 

Roma smiled in delight from this and held up one finger. "I only broke one dish today." She boasted superfluously. Nishiki let out a disappointed sigh but realized that it was an improvement for her. Albeit a minuscule victory. "So Touka I heard you got plans after work." He shifted the topic to small talk with some who he was more familiar with.

"Yeah, Yoriko-chan invited me for a night out after my shift ends." She replied. 

"Ah, sounds like fun." He replied casually. The bell above the door chimed as the door was opened and someone entered the shop. Touka and Nishiki both looked over to see a familiar face as Kaneki Ken stepped through the door of the humble coffee shop once more. "Hey, look who it is." Nishiki greeted him. Kaneki was dressed in gray slacks and black shoes along with a white button up dress shirt and a black vest. He was also no longer wearing his eye patch, allowing his normal eye color to show. 

"What ever happened to 'Not allowed to return'?" Koma asked from the other side of the counter with a sly grin. His coworker Kaya was standing next to him and continuing her business as usual. 

"The headmaster owed me a favor and allowed me to return for a day." Kaneki explained. Touka then approached him with a dissatisfied expression. 

"What happened to your hair?" She sounded irate as she asked him. "Did you change your hair color again?" 

"This should be the last time." Kaneki replied with an abashed grin. It was then that he noticed an unfamiliar face dressed in the uniform of Anteiku. Roma also stared back at him blankly, just as surprised to see him as he was to see her. 

"Ah, I don't believe you two have ever met." Koma realized aloud. "Kaneki, this is Hoito Roma. We hired her to fill in while you're at school." Koma introduced the latest employee to the veteran. "Roma-san, this is Kaneki Ken. He's an employee here who goes away to a private school."

"Nice to meet you Kaneki-san." Roma addressed him with a welcoming smile. 

"Nice to meet you too Roma-san." Kaneki offered his own grin in return. "By the way, is the manager here?" He then asked Koma. "I actually came here to see him."

"Yeah, he's upstairs if you want to go see him." Koma replied. 

"Thanks." Kaneki made his way upstairs to go and have a conversation with his old manager and to bring out the truths that lie hidden.

* * *

In the break room of Anteiku's upper floor, Yoshimura was tidying up the small room. It was comprised of two red couches with wooden legs and arms. They were placed perpendicular with each other with a small open space near the two closest ends. There was a coffee table that ran parallel with one of the couches. There was a high table near one end of the room that held a single percolator with coffee inside. That was for the employees during their break and the current batch was fresh as the manager planned to allow his employees a short siesta soon. He finished up dusting the last bit of the room when he heard the door open behind him. He turned to find Kaneki standing in the doorway.

"Ah, greetings Kaneki." Yoshimura greeted his waiter with a smile. "Back already are we?"

"The headmaster allowed me to return for a day." Kaneki replied. "I was actually hoping I could speak with you about something." 

"Of course, please have a seat." Yoshimura agreed to a chat. Kaneki took a seat in the center of one of the couches while Yoshimura walked over to the table with the coffee percolator and sat the feather duster down next to it. He grabbed two nearby cups and began to gracefully pour coffee into the cups. "So what do you wish to speak with me about?"

"I want to know everything you can tell me about the organization known as V." Kaneki was forthright with his questions. Yoshimura ceased pouring as soon as Kaneki finished uttering those words. He stood still as if frozen and gave pause. 

"How do you know that name?" His general gaiety had vanished and his tone was now much more solemn. It was quite transparent that he was now on edge and no longer putting on any airs. 

"Your daughter came to Youkai Academy in order to try and capture me." Kaneki answered him truthfully. "She told me everything, about her, about Kuzen, and about V."

"I see..." The manager sounded much less stern now but was not yet calmed. "Where is she now?" He asked, fearing the worst. 

"She's now working as the headmaster's assistant." Kaneki replied. 

"Is that so?" Yoshimura resumed pouring coffee and though Kaneki could not see it the old man was now smiling. "I'm glad she found somewhere she may truly belong." He finished with the two cups of coffee and took both over to the small coffee table. He placed one cup and saucer in front of Kaneki and the other on the corner of the table. He sat on the other couch near his cup with his usual smile plastered on his face once more. "So you wish to know about V then. Truthfully i'm not sure I can offer you much more than the information you have already been given."

"Any bit helps." Kaneki reassured him.

"Well as i'm sure you're aware, they're a very powerful shadow organization that has their fingers dug into the CCG and the National Diet. Their main goal is to keep a balance between humans and ghouls." Yoshimura recapitulated what he already knew. "I'm afraid I don't not know as much as you think. If you heard about me that you know I worked as a cleaner, a low level grunt. I only ever had contact with one man in the organization named Kaiko and he always sought me out. I couldn't even tell you where to begin searching for him. I'm sorry that you came out here all this way for nothing but I truly do not know anything more."

"Have you ever heard of the Shinso Ghoul?" Kaneki asked.

"Hmm, the Shinso Ghoul huh?" Yoshimura sat back in his seat and began to reminisce. "That is an old legend I have not heard of in a long time. Many today are not even aware of the tale. But the story goes that there was one ancestor which all ghouls originate from. It is said that this Shinso Ghoul was astonishingly powerful, some say his strength was more comparable to that of a monster. He was said to terrorize the whole country in the late Edo period and even into the Meiji. Then he was challenged by one man, the founder of the Commission of Counter Ghoul, Washuu Daikichi. The two were fierce rivals that paralleled Dracula and Van Hellshing. They clashed in a fierce and magnificent battle with the human ending up victorious and slaying the ghoul once and for all. But that's all just a legend, what does it have to do with V?"

"There's something else we learned of V at Youkai Academy. The Shinso Ghoul is very real and he is the leader of V." Kaneki explained. "He was a failed clone of the strongest youkai, the also very real Dracula. This makes him the second most powerful being to ever exist." 

"So he is real then?" Yoshimura's expression became stern once more. "Not only that, but if he is still alive today he must have a very long life span. Kaneki, knowing all this are you sure you still want to pursue V?" 

"No." Kaneki answered truthfully. "I'm not doing this willingly. I know they're eventually going to come after me, and if it was up to me i'd probably just hide myself away so they can't find me. But I can't guarantee that they won't come after you or my friends at Youkai Academy. So even though I don't want to I am going to stop them and protect everyone."

If that is your decision." The manager nodded and acknowledged Kaneki's decision. "Though I can not get involved directly I will do what I can to aid you. If you ever require the assistance of any of us you need only ask."

"Actually, there is one more thing I need to discuss." 

* * *

The employees below had finished cleaning up at the end of their shifts and were prepared to leave. Touka and Nishiki had already changed back into their casual clothes and discarded their uniforms. Koma and Kaya were staying behind for a few minutes to make sure everything was ship shape, though they too were almost finished and getting ready to return home for the day. 

"Alright, i'm heading out." Nishiki announced. He passed through the front door while gesturing a farewell and departed the humble coffee shop. Seconds later Kaneki descended down the stairs with Yoshimura following right behind him. The elderly man seemed to be in a jolly mood once more as he saw his guest out. 

"Hey, i'm heading out now." Touka informed him.

"Are you going somewhere Touka?" Kaneki asked.

"Yeah, Yoriko-chan and I are going out for awhile." She responded. "I'll tell Hinami-chan you said hi."

"Is she going to be there too?"

"No, she's staying with Yomo-san." Touka replied. "We've seen a few doves wandering around lately and one even stopped in the shop a few times so we figured it was safer to send her away for awhile." 

"Ah, well thank you for sending her my regards." Kaneki showed his appreciation. "I'm on my way to see Uta now so i'll follow you out." 

"Woo-hoo! We are done!" Roma cheered as she entered the dining area dressed in her casual clothes as well. "I am going home and putting my feet up."

"Roma-san, could I ask you to stay for a little while longer?" Yoshimura asked her in a polite tone. 

"Oh, sure." The vivacious tone of her voice as gone but she did not sound disheartened either. Touka and Kaneki both left the shop, leaving the other four behind. Yoshimura walked over to Kaya and whispered something in here ear. Kaya nodded and headed towards the back door of the shop. Yoshimura made his way to the front door. "So what did you need me to stay for?" She asked. She did not get a response as the manager walked straight past her wordlessly and walked up to the front door. He slid the lock close and locked the front door while a faint click could be heard from the back door being locked as well. Roma was rather confused but that would not last for long. Yoshimura had kept her in order to act on the advice given to him and he would make it brief.

* * *

Uta sat in the quiet atmosphere of his art studio in the Fourth Ward. It was where he made and sold custom masks. His customers tended to primarily be ghouls but eventually a human or two would also stop his shop, completely unaware to it's owners true identity. It was a rather peculiar thing but Uta did not mind. In fact he enjoyed the oddity of humans shopping there and doing the unexpected. To him the world was often a dull and dreary place that needed a little excitement. He always looked forward to the next big event that would shake things up and make it interesting.

For him that next thing arrived in his shop in the form of a familiar face. He turned around in his chair and away from the mask he was currently working on. Standing there in front of the door was Kaneki Ken, and old acquaintance of his and certainly an oddity in his own right. "Oh, hello Kaneki-san." Uta greeted him. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." Uta turned back to his latest project, hardly even noticing the grim expression of Kaneki. "What brings you to my little shop?"

"You're last." Kaneki told him. 

"Beg pardon?" Uta questioned in confusion. 

"Itori, Nico, Roma, Souma..." Kaneki began to list off. "They've all been dealt with. You're the last one." The bit of information Eto had shred with him before his departure was that of the betrayal by a few of his comrades. What had happened on the night with Rize was no accident but a well planned and calculated event. Though Kanou was the mastermind behind it he did not enact it alone. He had hired the help of a group known as Pierrot, ghouls who dressed in clown masks and sought only to cause chaos. It was one of them that had caused the I-beams to fall and crush Rize, allowing her kakuhou to be extracted and placed in Kaneki. His friend Uta and Itori who had given him information before were both part of this group and had putting on a face the whole time. They had always known what had happened and were simply watching things play out for their own amusement. 

So one by one Kaneki hunted them down and dealt with the swiftly. Though he had been told not to kill anyone he had decided that this was a matter that needed to be dealt with. He made sure to do it discretely and had informed Yoshimura of this truth as well, leaving Roma's fate in his hands. Now there was only one member left, the one Kaneki had considered a friend. Uta stopped working on the mask and sat his tools down.

"I see..." He replied simply.

"I take it you didn't know Souma was actually an investigator with ties to the Washuu family?" Kaneki surmised. 

"Is that so?" Uta chuckled dryly. "I suppose that's rather ironic, a joke played on clowns. But i'm afraid i'm not going to go down just like the others." Uta quickly turned about face and unleashed his ukaku kagune. However Kaneki was no longer there. Uta looked around the room in confusion as Kaneki had seemingly vanished. He realized it all too late that Kaneki had swiftly moved behind him. Kaneki delivered a powerful elbow strike that connected with Uta's back and sent him flying across the room. Uta crashed against several mask stands and eventually tumbled against the wall. He tried to lift himself up after that but found himself unable to rise. Kaneki's attack had broken his spine and he now could not move from the waist down. 

Though his back would soon heal it would all be for naught. Kaneki was already standing over him like a predator who had injured and captured it's prey. He even had the looked of a predator in his eyes, which were not showing their mismatched colors of a ghoul's eye and that of a vampire. Uta could feel the strong aura of youkai energy being emitted from Kaneki's vampire form. It was clear who was the superior one here and Uta knew he could not defeat such an opponent. He would now have to face retribution for his actions. Kaneki cracked his index finger with his knuckle and before Uta was torn apart Kaneki offered the last words he would ever hear.

"La commedia é finita!"


	30. Esoteric Feelings

It was late in the night hours of Tokyo. In only a couple more hours the next day would begin and in the wee hours of the morning before the sun would even rise over the horizon. The streets were mostly empty with the exception of the busier streets and the districts where the nightlife was still lively. Touka and Yoriko walked together as they made their way back to their homes. Yoriko's house was closer but not that far from Anteiku where Touka resided on the upper floor. Touka didn't mind walking alone for the extra distance as she could likely hold her own against most foes. In fact she would rather rest assured that her friend had made it home safe. 

The two of them had an engaging night as Yoriko took Touka to her favorite restaurant and then the two of them went to see a movie. It was a mediocre comedy flick but the two of them enjoyed it for what it was worth. Though Yoriko had laughed and enjoyed the film more there were still parts of the film that made even Touka chuckle. Both girls had enjoyed their night out but were spent from the wear of the daily grind. Soon though they would both be at their homes and would likely find themselves in their beds as soon as possible. 

"So Touka-chan, are you looking forward to our first year of High School?" Yoriko tried to make conversation during their final moments together for the night. 

"I guess. " Touka responded dubiously. "I can't exactly say i'm excited about it, more nervous than anything. What about you?"

"I'm a little nervous too but i'm also kind of excited." Yoriko admitted. "Did you ever think of going to that private school your friend is going to? What was it called again?"

"Youkai Academy? No, I never really considered it." Touka had no desire whatsoever to attend Youkai Academy. Though a private school would generally be ideal Youkai Academy was from from an ideal school. She knew little about other than what she had heard, mostly from Kaneki's word, and what she had heard did not please her. It sounded more like a free for all than a place of academia. He was allowed to return to the human world twice despite it being considered illicit. Fights were also allowed there so long as no one was killed and one did not fight a member of the faculty. This private school for youkai did not sound alluring in the slightest. Then there was also the fact that it would separate her from her closest friend Yoriko. That was the biggest turn off of the school Kaneki attended.

" _Youkai_ Academy?" Yoriko repeated in amazement. "That's certainly an interesting name for a school."

"Yeah, you could say that." _It's not exactly a normal school either._ Touka though to herself silently.

The two girls took a less traveled route though a less populated part of the 20th Ward. It was a shortcut that would get them to Yoriko's residence faster. They knew the path was often overlooked and not many would travel it, thus Touka was hoping to avoid running into anyone. She always kept her guard up and was suspicious of anyone she saw wandering around at night. Though she could always tell the difference between an unruly bunch of thugs and other ghouls on the prowl. Her enhanced sense of smell made sure of that. 

Touka and her friend Yoriko were both trekking down the less used path which was a small road in a less populated area of the ward. There were actually a few small town houses on the one side which was near the edge of the city, while apartment buildings lined the side more towards the heart of the city. Yoriko's residence was not far from where they currently were. It would be at the next turn and then Touka would be at ease knowing her friend was home safe. It would not be much farther now.

"Hey Touka-chan, have you- Hmpf!" Touka quickly glanced to her left to see Yoriko being snatched up by two men wearing masks and crimson red cloaks. They were costumes that Touka could identify immediately, the uniforms of Aogiri Tree members. One of them covered up Yoriko's mouth as she was abducted by the two men. They both grabbed hold of her arms lifted her feet off the ground, keeping her from struggling effectively. The duo then jumped off the ground with their captive and landed on the railing of a parking garage's second story railing.

"Yoriko-chan!" Touka shouted as her friend was being kidnapped. "Hold on, i'm coming." She then ran straight for the parking garage as the two men jumped again and landed of the roof. Though Touka was easily capable of following them in the same manner it would reveal her true self to Yoriko, something with Touka had always feared and attempted to avoid at any cost. Thus she ran hastily up the two floors of the nearby parking garage where her friend had been taken to. She hoped that the worst had not happened and that Yoriko was still alive. In fact they could have continued on foot and Touka would have to track them by their scent if that was the case. She was in a state of panic all the way through the open structure as she ran as fast her legs would take her, desperately hoping to save her friend.

When she finally reached the roof after what seemed like an eternity for her, Touka found Yoriko on the roof still alive and unharmed. Deep down Touka was relieved but she had to keep her concentration of the three other figures on the roof. Two of which where the masked Aogiri members that had abducted Yoriko right off the streets. The other was Kirishima Ayato, Touka's own brother. "What are you doing here Ayato?" Touka asked in an accusatory tone. 

"Where's that other friend of yours?" Ayato questioned her. "Kaneki Ken, our boss went to go find him and never made it back. Tell me where he is." 

"I don't know, he stopped by the shop earlier and left." Touka answered honestly. 

"Keep her there." Ayato instructed his two subordinates before turning his focus back to his elder sister. "Well i'm sure he'll come once he knows I have you two as hostages." 

"Leave Yoriko-chan out of this!" She shouted in anger. Ayato glared back at her with a haughty contempt. He clicked his tongue at her as a gesture of disdain for her lax attitude towards humans. 

"You know you're really pathetic." Ayato reproached her behavior. He then rushed her at a high velocity and threw a punch aimed directly at her face. Touka ducked and dodged the attack. Ayato threw another punch with the other hand this time and Touka once more dodged under the attack. As she evaded she also directed a kick aimed for Ayato's head. He caught the attack and took hold of her by the ankle. He gripped her tightly and threw her off to the side, sending her spiraling through the air. Touka hit the ground on her side and slid a short distance. She quickly managed to get back on her feet while Ayato stood there with an supercilious expression. 

Touka rushed him this time, coming with two quick punches in rapid succession. Ayato managed to dodge both simply by stepping back. He then raised his own leg in an upwards kick and Touka blocked it and deflected it back down. However Ayato quickly raised her other leg and while momentarily off the ground struck his sister in the chin and sent her backwards. Ayato managed to land on his feet successfully while Touka was sent back and struck the ground. She rubbed her chin where a bruise was now starting to form while Ayato continued to simply glare at her with a feeling of superiority. At that time Yoriko managed to struggle just enough to free her mouth.

"Touka-chan!" She shouted in concern for her friend. 

"Come on Touka, you know you can't beat me like this." Ayato taunted her. "You know what you have to do if you want to stand a chance against." He further prompted her to release her kagune and show her true form. However doing so would most likely cost Touka her dearest friendship. She would have to find a way to defeat Ayato without relying on her ghoul powers. She rushed her brother one more and threw a direct punch. Ayato grabbed onto her once more, taking hold of her arm as he quickly turned his back to her. Ayato threw her over his shoulder and she landed on the ground a short distance away, skidding along the rough blacktop across her shoulder. She picked herself ever so slightly more sluggish this time. 

"Fine, if you don't want to use it..." A brightly colored red ukaku type kagune emerged from Ayato's upper back and his eyes changed into the pattern fitting only a ghoul. "Then I will!" He charged her with even greater speed than before. Touka was just barely able to roll out of the way and dodge and he delivered a powerful punch directed downwards. Ayato nimbly jump backwards and flipped himself upside down, sending a kick towards Touka from above. She managed to dodge that along with a follow up back-handed punch as Ayato spun. She was unable to avoid the second punch from his other hand which struck her in the cheek and caused her to fall to the ground. "Get serious already!" Ayato continued to egg her on, lunging at her while she lay on the ground.

No longer able to deny it, Touka decided she had to do what was necessary to save her best friend. No mater what the cost may be. She launched herself upwards as fast she her body would allow her to lift off at and struck Ayato in the jaw with her knee. Ayato was launched backwards but managed to land on his feet. When he looked to his sister once more he saw that she had finally succumb. She was now standing there with her own kagune, completely identical to his, now unleashed. He smirked with the satisfaction of this personal victory. But the battle was not yet over.

Meanwhile Yoriko stared onward with an aghast expression. She was in utter shock, stupefied by the revelation before her. Touka, her closest friend in the entire world. had been a ghoul this whole time and kept it secret. Through their whole history together Yoriko had assumed that Touka was a just an ordinary human girl. But in truth she was a ghoul and lived a secretive life keeping her identity hidden from the world, even from her own friend. Yoriko tried to comprehend all of this while still being on edge as she watched the fight unfold before her.

Touka rushed Ayato with the speed of a ukaku-type ghoul. She was fast, in fact an untrained eye would most likely be unable to see much more than a blur. But the adrenaline pumping through both Yoriko and Ayato helped to track her movements. She spun and sent a kick flying out towards her brother. He ducked under it and she went sailing above him, just as she predicted. She landed on the ground nearby and jumped into the air as her kagune hardened and appeared with a crystalline form. Shards of her kagune were wired off at the two men restraining Yoriko. They were both forced to release her as they fleed in opposite directions from the incoming attack. The two streams of shards passed by Yoriko who was still stunned from the rush of everything. Touka landed nearby and ran up to her friend. 

"Touka-chan, you..."

"Yoriko, you need to get out of here!" Touka ordered. "I'll hold them off, just run!" Touka then turned away from her to face Ayato once more.

"But Touka-chan, you're-"

"I know." Touka cut her off once more. "I can't possibly ask you to forgive me or to accept who I am. So all i'm asking is that you get yourself to safety. For your sake as well as mine, go and live Yoriko-chan." 

"Tch, enough with this." Ayato rushed her with blinding speeds and the two clashed their kagune's together before disengaging. They both made simultaneous passes at each other and clashed once more, but this time they sped by each other. Both brother and sister continued to engage in a duel, clashing again and again both on the ground and in air. The ukaku, their type of kagune, allowed to move at great speeds for a short while. However ghoul's with a ukaku kagune had an Achilles Heel in their design. Their capacity for high speed attacks meant they burned through their stamina more rapidly than any other. Their battle would ultimately lead up to be a test of endurance, with the one able to keep their high velocity up longer being the victor. 

All the while Yoriko found herself unable to move. She could easily have fled while Touka kept her brother at bay. She would be able to flee the scene and return home or flee to the CCG office building within their ward, which was not more than five minutes away from their current location. It would have been easy to simple retreat and do as she was told. Yet the whole revelation left Yoriko in a daze. She understood fully well the implications of Touka's life as a ghoul. She had to keep it secret for all those year both for her own safety as well as out of the fear that Yoriko would leave if she knew the truth. Yoriko understood that it must have torn her friend apart inside, having the live with the duality of it all. She could hear the two masked ghouls running at her once more in an attempt to recapture her. Yoriko clenched her fists in frustration aimed at herself for not being able to do anything to help her friend before. But that would be no longer. 

A bright light and a wave of heat nearby caught the attention of both Touka and her brother Ayato. They looked to see the spot where Yoriko once stood engulfed in flames. The inferno burned brightly and consumed everything in its wake. This included the two masked ghouls who were both set ablaze. Both men flailed about  and screamed in agony as they burned alive. Once stumbled back towards the edge of the roof and ended up falling backwards off the roof. The other simply waved his arms about wildly as he ran around and panicked. He dropped the ground and tried to roll to put the fire out but it did nothing as his whole body was engulfed in flames. The massive flare of yellow flames began to subside and a solitary figure was left standing among the ash. Yoriko was still standing in the same spot, changed but unharmed. Her fingernails had extended into claws and the pupils of her eyes were now slit. But the most noticeable features were her two canine-like ears and bushy tail growing on her back right around her waist. 

"What the hell?" Ayato was shocked. "She's one of them?" The them he was referring to was the youkai races, just like mighty vampire he had seen several months ago. 

"Yoriko-chan..." Now it was Touka's turn to stare in awe. 

"You're not the only one who's had to keep a secret Touka-chan." Yoriko apprised her. "So I can understand what it must have been like for you to have to keep your true self hidden for so long. I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I know what it's like, and I won't let you have to endure it any more." She took a step forward with a confident look about her. "That's why i'm going to help you fight!" 

"You want to get in too huh? Fine by me!" Ayato rushed her now, with full intent to kill rather than to capture. With a wave of her hand Yoriko created a wall of fire to separate herself from Ayato. He was temporarily caught in the flames but swiftly jumped out, being left mostly unharmed. Though Yoriko's fire would not be as immediately damaging as Touka kagune, her fire still caused immense pain and would damage him if he was exposed to it too much. Yoriko ran over next to her friend but kept her focus on the opponent. 

"So you're a youkai then?" Touka asked. Yoriko turned to her friend with a look of mild surprise. 

"Yes. How did you know?" Yoriko inquired. 

"Remember when I said it was called Youkai Academy? It's more than just a name." Touka answered. 

"I see." Yoriko understood fully what Touka had meant by that. She then turned her attention back to Ayato who was preparing to attack once more. He launched an offensive maneuver by charging at them with his kagune out on both sides in an attempt to strike them both at once. Yoriko raised her arm towards him and sent out a beam of fire towards him. Ayato dodged by leaping into the air where he was met by Touka. Their kagunes clashed once more in the air and the two of them were locked together. This made him unable to dodge as Yoriko appeared behind him with her claws at the ready. She slashed him across the back and crimson blood gushed from the four marks she had created. Ayato broke off the engagement with Touka and gained some distance. His kagune hardened and he shot out a volley of crystal shards out of his kagune, firing them off with a sound similar to a machine gun. 

Both girls avoided the incoming barrage and dispersed in separate directions. Ayato fired two short bursts from his kagune, one aimed at each girl. Yoriko dodged the volley sent towards her with ease while Touka hardened her own kagune in response and fired in retaliation. Her own shards clashed with his and fragmented in mid air. She kept up the fire and managed to strike him in several places across the body. He jumped back out of her fire and proceeded to fire back. Touka jumped forward and got under his next volley. Yoriko tossed a small ball of fire at him which he attempted to escape from. However it exploded much like a grenade and he could not totally avoid the blast. He raised his arms to shield himself but his front was still partially burned from the attack. He prepared to fire at her next but found both girls now in front of him. 

Together in a team attack Touka fired shards of her own kagune while Yoriko sent out a wall of flames. The shards were set ablaze before they connected with their target. Ayato felt a sharp and searing pain as scalding crystal shards cut into him. He was struck along his left arm , the lower right portion of his abdomen, and in both shoulders. The excessively hot shards ended up cauterizing the open wounds but fused the shards into his skin. Ayato fell to his knees from the overwhelming pain. He grunted and tried to speak but found himself unable to do so. He hunch over and managed to support his upper body by his hands but was otherwise incapacitated. With Ayato seemingly defeated the two girls eased up and faced each other. 

This was the first time they were having a conversation in their true forms, not including their talk during battle. For this was to be an actual verbal exchange between two friends who had both learned of and accepted the other as they are. Yoriko had felt sorry that Touka had to endure being a ghoul in the human's world where she would be hunted if she was found out. Touka too understood that Yoriko was going through something very similar, having to keep her identity as a Kitsune hidden. Revealing such information would have much more far reaching consequences but it was easier to conceal her identity. Thankfully both friends were able to smile at each other with a mutual understanding. 

"So this is what you really look like." Touka was the first to speak.

"Yes, this is my true form. That of a Kitsune." Yoriko confirmed. "And this is your true form as well."

"You're not disgusted by... what I eat are you?" Touka asked hesitantly.

"Of course not Touka-chan." Yoriko replied. "You are my friend, and I know what it's like to have to hide yourself away from others. I will not condemn you simply because you were born that way." 

"Thank you Yoriko-chan." Touka was relieved that things between that had come out this way. "I guess eve you had to- Look out!" Touka quickly shoved her friend to side and caught a volley of sharp ukaku shards. Touka was taken back by the force of them while Yoriko stared in horror as she watched Touka get blasted away. She turned back to the other ghoul whom they have previously believed to be defeated. Ayato was already mid air as he launched himself at Yoriko. He tackled her to the ground and ended up on top of her. She tried to raise her hand to fire back but was abruptly struck in the face. 

"Damn you, I won't allow either of you to walk away from this." He decreed. "You pathetic human-lovers." He reached down and grabbed Yoriko by the throat. "I'll kill you both and take them down myself." Yoriko struggled as he squeezed down on her throat and constricted her airway. She struggled against him as she attempted to remove his hands from around her throat. His grip was too powerful and she could not pry him off of her throat. Yoriko could feel her strength begin to fade as she was deprived of oxygen. Her fruitless grip around Ayato's hands became weaker and she silently gasped for air. 

"Stop this Ayato!" Touka shouted at him. Ayato ignored her as he continued to strangle her friend right in front of her. Touka's wounds began to close now and she slowly steadied herself back onto her feet. "I told you to stop!" She continued to plead to no avail. Ayato did not loosen his grip whatsoever. By now Yoriko had last her ability to hold onto him and color was draining from her face. Her eyes began to roll back and her consciousness began to fade. Her life in this world was waning and within mere seconds she would be no more. Her brain and other vital organs were being deprived of the essential oxygen they needed. 

Ayato's grip was finally released from her throat, albeit not of his own accord. Left with the choice between her brother and closest friend Touka was forced to make an impossible choice. Using her enhanced speed she rushed in behind Ayato and pierced him with her hardened kagune. She ran him though his chest and punctured his heart as well as his right lung. After that his strength instantly vanished and he released Yoriko, who returned coughing and gasping for air. The splatter of blood just barely passed over her head and though she was left clean her mind would be forever scarred with the image she saw next. She would never be able to forget the sight of Touka delivering the fatal blow to her brother and of the kagune that was thrust through his chest. The mortally wounded Ayato fell over on his side, his eyes half closed as he now began to fade from the world. 

To say Touka was struck with grief would be a drastic understatement. The impact of what she had just done was immediate as she watched his body become limp and fall against the cold hard ground. She knelt there in a silent shock after she came to realize just what she had done. Though she did save Yoriko's life she had just lost the last family member she would ever have. She was ridden with guilt, regret, and anguish as the weight of it all came down upon her. Yoriko sat back up with a horrified expression as for the first time in her life she had just witnessed someone getting killed right in front of her. Though her emotions were not running as wildly as her comrade, it still mortified her nonetheless. 

"Ayato!" Touka quickly shifted herself over to his side. Blood was pouring from his wound as if it were an open faucet. He was weak, far weaker than he should be. The color was starting to fade from his face as he bleed out. The wound he had received was too grim and he would not be able to regenerate from it. Two of his vital organs were damaged beyond repair and one of them was his heat, one of the two most important organs within him. Touka picked up his feeble and flaccid body as the life began to literally drain from his body. 

"Damn..." He cursed weakly. "I didn't think... you'd actually do that."

"Stay with me Ayato! Don't die on me!" She pleaded. 

"You know damn well that's not going to happen." He replied. "You really got me, you did me in."

"No... it can't be." Tears began to stream down her face as she bared witness to the consequences of her own actions. The reality of it all was that she had just committed fratricide and she would never be able to undo that. All she could do was hold onto him in his final moments before he vanished from the world eternally. For once she was unable to suppress her emotions. She could do nothing to stop the flow of tears from her eyes as the guilt overwhelmed her.

"Ayato, i'm... sorry." She managed to choke out through her tears. 

"Don't be." He replied wearily. "I'm not angry with you... I don't blame you." His sentences were spaced out now as he struggled to speak. "You were just trying to protect someone you wanted to save. I suppose I can't hold that against you... That's why I joined Aogiri, the throw off the balance of this world so we wouldn't have to suffer anymore. But I guess that's not going to happen now." His breathing had become heavy and taxing. His vision began to blur and soon would fade entirely. Ayato could feel his limp body going cold as he lay there dying in his sister's arms while a horrified Yoriko stared with an aghast expression. "Later... onee-san." With that Ayato's eyes closed and his body entered a state of rigor mortis. 

"No, it can't be." Touka's voice was low and filled with dismay. "Ayato, please... don't go." She tried to plea but it was all too late. Ayato had left this world as well as her, leaving her without any family in the entire world. Instead of another weak cry the next sound that came out of Touka's mouth was a loud and horrid cry. She wailed uncontrollably in despair, her voice carrying out through the still night air. The mixed emotions of both loss and remorse torn her apart as she watched her own brother die by her hand. Yoriko was unable to help the situation and could do nothing more than silently cry alongside her disconsolate friend in her time of loss.

* * *

On the following afternoon, the bus pulled up next to the path which led to Youkai Academy. Kaneki stepped off it one more time and wondered how often would he arrive at the school in this manner? The first time time he had felt scared, nervous to be in an unfamiliar world, and intimidated by the Gothic architecture of the school. The second time he was relieved to have returned to a familiar setting after his first excursion back to the human world. Now he was unsure how to feel. Again he returned with unanswered questions, the most significant being what would he end up doing about V? 

Soon his second year would start, and he would have only two years to plot his strategy against the clandestine organization. So far the biggest obstacle was their secrecy and how little he truly knew about them. He had no idea how to find them or where to even begin at this point. Yoshimura had turned out to know less than he did as the old manager was unaware of the existence of the Shinso Ghoul. Thus Kaneki was left once with dead ends in his search and was unsure of what to do next. There were only two things he was certain of. One was that V would present a threat to him due to his nature as a One-Eyed Ghoul, now also part vampire. The other was that they would most likely not attack him while he was at Youkai Academy. The school was run by one of the three Dark Lords, an incredibly powerful being that would not respond to threats well. However he also knew that if they came, he would most likely not be their primary target.

"Welcome back." A soft voice greeted him. He found Eto waiting for him a short distance down the trail. She was dressed in a long black skirt with a white button up shirt and black jacket over top. This was presumably her work clothes as she served as the Headmaster's assistant. "I assume you followed the rules set forth and behaved yourself while you were away." 

"Of course." Kaneki replied neutrally.

"No you didn't." She accused him plainly and openly. "I know you well enough to know exactly what happened to Pierrot. Of course the Headmaster doesn't need to know about this, they do not concern him after all." 

"Did you know about the one who called himself Souta?" Kaneki asked her as they continued to walk down the path towards the school. 

"I know he's the one that cut the beams free and set the chain of events in motion that night." She replied. "Was there something else?"

"His real name was Furuta Nimura, he was a Dove and distant relative of the Washuu clan." Kaneki informed her.

"Is that right?" She smirked playfully. "How ironic." If anyone appreciated the irony of the situation it would be her. She understood full well the large plot of it all. An investigator joining Pierrot and in a sense pulling a joke on a group of clowns. Then there was also the fact that it had been he who pulled the trigger on Chekhov's Gun and set about the turn of events that would drastically change Kaneki Ken's life. But in the end Kaneki had sought his retribution and struck down Nimura in retaliation. Thus completing the cycle of revenge. 

"You also might like to know I got a call from Touka last night." He continued. "Apparently Ayato tried to take her and her friend hostage to get my attention. But Touka ended up killing him and was devastated by that."

"So Ayato is dead then? Oh well." She appeared to be rather impassive on the matter. "Honestly with fights over territory disputes, fratricide is not all that uncommon among Ghouls." 

"Do you even care?" Kaneki began to grow impatient with her. "One of your subordinates died trying to find you. In fact don't think I forgot about what your other one did to me." 

"Yamori was acting as my spy before you had even been invited here." Eto shot back. "Besides, I do not micromanage. What Yamori did was completely of his own accord. As for Ayato I can't honestly say I will miss him. I no longer have a need for Aogiri Tree." 

"So that's it? You built them up and now you're just giving up on them?"

"Aogiri was a tool, they were there for me to use to achieve my own goals." She explained. "However now I have access to a plethora of information on varying youkai races that proves far more invaluable to me. To put it simply I have better resources here than I do with Aogiri. Whatever it takes to take down V and remove their cage I will do, no matter the cost."

Kaneki let out a sigh. If she had any shred of morality left in her then it was hidden quite deep. She appeared to be an remorseless and calculating machine, and she did not hide that. She put on no airs nor did she try to make friends with anyone. It was all about her own desires and what she would do to accomplish them. She cared not for anyone who got in her way nor for those she had to step on in order to achieve her goals. Kaneki was starting to regret having previously idolized her. 

"I'm probably going to regret asking this, but..." He turned to face her. "I need your help Tatsuki-san." 

"If it will help to take down V I will gladly oblige." She answered. 

"I need you to help train me." She turned to him with a surprised look, unsure as to why he would ask such a thing. "I know I may be stronger now that i'm part vampire, but you have a second kakuja form. That means you can probably teach me a few things about using my kagune. If i'm going to stand a chance at all i'll need to use both my ghoul and vampire sides." 

Eto grinned from ear to ear mischievously. "I'll have you know i'm not exactly a patient teacher. If you happen to die during your training... well that's just too bad."

"That's fine." Kaneki accepted the hazards that would go with his training. He would not falter now that he had the power to act. In a test of all out strength he could easily best her, but her control of her own kagune was far greater than his. He would need to master using it in combat in conjunction with his vampiric strength. Fighting the ancestor to all ghouls would certainly prove to be the hardest task for him yet and he could not fail. For his own sake as well as that of his friends. For they too would likely get sucked into the whirlpool of danger that was the Organization known only as V.

"Very well. Then from here until the next semester I will teach you everything you need to know about using your kagune in combat." She decreed. "Follow me, and let us begin immediately. 


	31. Start of the Second Year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there readers, short message before I begin with this chapter. Wow, I have actually been doing this story for nearly a year now and i'm probably over half way done with everything I have planned. I never though I would get as many views and Kudos as I did and I would like to thank all of you who have stuck with me through this. I have everything up to the end already planned out and I hope you continue to enjoy as I finish up the later part of this story. Thank you all so much.

Time continued to pass as it always does and before long the students' vacation had come to an end. A new school year had begun and students began to fill the school's halls once more. Most students were returning for their second or third year and had gone to greet old friends. However a new class had joined as the last graduated and they were exploring and getting used to this new environment. For many of the new students it would be their first time interacting with other races of Youkai. Most had spent their lives up till now living in their own home worlds hidden away from the human world just like the school.

For those returning this was a rather bittersweet time. For they would reunite with old friends from the previous years whom they would only see while at school. But their survival would not be guaranteed. Both returning classes were fewer in numbers than their years before. Kaneki had taken notice that there were fewer people at the start of this year. He was well aware of the disappearances that had taken place throughout the previous school year. In fact being a part of the Newspaper Club made him more aware of that fact than most others. Then of course there was also ANTI-THESIS who were responsible for more than a few casualties. But only now was he able to see the full effects of the school's lack of safety. It was certainly an issue he felt should be addressed. 

But that was not his problem. Not unless it involved someone close to him. He began to ponder that during the early hours of the day. Was he less of a person for only concerning himself with the well being of those close to him? If he truly wanted to be a moral person should he strive to stop these random acts of violence at the school and save others? If he had the potential to save others then should he? He was part of the Newspaper Club and journalism was part of the job description. Should he be trying to look out for more than just his friends?

But he knew that the world was not often to black and white. For what reward would he receive for such actions? Such deeds however good would go unacknowledged and the only thing he would have would be a feeling of self-satisfaction. There would no medals, no honor nor recompense for going around trying to end the unexplained disappearances. He would only be needlessly putting himself at risk to save people he did not know for no reward. There would also be no guarantee that the people he would save would be any better. Those he would end up saving could turn out to be just as malicious themselves. Youkai Academy was many things. It was a school for the non-human, a safe haven for the youkai attending it, and an extraordinary world of coexistence. But it was certainly no fairy tale, instead being just as gruesomely real as the

In the end he decided against such acts and the thought began to fade from his mind. Instead he he tried to focus on his classes as it was his first day back. He was once again in the familiar setting of Class 163 with Nekonome-sensei. Neither she nor any of the class really seemed to change. In fact as he thought about he was the one who had changed the most since the start of the previous year. His hair was now a silver color that matched that of Inner Moka. That and his once innocent and timid personality was replaced with one that could still be kind but also contained a great cruelty. Yamori had broken him both mentally and physically. That deeply ingrained psychological scar could never be undone. 

But Kaneki could at least come to terms with who he was now. At first he just felt numb. He had been left scarred after undergoing weeks of torture that had broken everything that made him who he was. He had become a much colder person and he was self-aware as to that fact. He hated what he had become, hated the icy persona that took hold of him. His desire for peace between humans and ghouls was gone and replaced with a cruelty that was his hamartia. He had gone into cannibalism in order to become stronger and that act had almost undone him entirely. Had Moka not offered part of herself that day then he would likely have died by Hokuto's hand. 

Now he was different though. The vampiric power coursing through him gave him far more power than he had ever hoped for. He was no on par with Inner Moka in terms of combat capability and he could finally protect those close to him from most imminent danger. He was satisfied with that and was more at ease knowing his new found power. But V would still one day be a more serious threat to him and his life and he would be forced to deal with them. For the time being however he could be at ease, only having to worry about the menial day to day responsibilities of a high school student. 

For the most part his day had played out ordinarily without any major occurrence. His classes were all simply introductions and information on what would be expected in the next two semesters. All very routine and fundamental procedures that were to be expected of one's first year. The only event worthy of noting was the club meeting behind held right after classes. Nekonome had informed all of the current members that there was a mandatory meeting to be held in her classroom after the school day had ended. Thus the members of the club were all gathered in the otherwise empty class after their first day back. They were gathered in a circle in the front of the class between Nekonome's desk and the student desks.

"I wonder what this meeting is going to be about." Kurumu pondered aloud.

"She might be electing a new leader since Gin graduated." Kaneki hypothesized. Being that their old club president was a third year student he would not be returning on this new school year. Thus they were left without a leader as Nekonome only sponsored the club and allowed for it to be recognized as an official school club. 

"I think Kaneki-kun should be our next president, desu!" Yukari was already making motions to elect a new head. 

"Yeah, somehow I kind of imagined that." He responded with a sigh. 

The door to the classroom swung open and caught the attention of all those inside. They were all expecting to see the sensei step through the door and greet them. This was not the case however, and they instead were all surprised to see a familiar werewolf step through the door and join them. Gin was still at the school despite supposedly graduating. "Hey guys, thanks for coming." He greeted them all with a grin.

"What are you doing here Gin-senpai?" Kaneki asked confusedly. 

"Well I sort of failed a few of my grades last year and well..." Gin rubbed the back of his head with an abashed look.

"Bwahaha! Gin-senpai is a super senior!" Yukari burst out laughing as she taunted him. Gin grit his teeth in response and looked away with an irate expression upon his face.

"Shut up you little brat." He retorted as calmly as he could manage. "Look you guys should already know what I expect from you." He then addressed them as a group. "We print weekly and I want each you to have some kind of an article by the deadline. I know sometimes we get dragged into dangerous situations in which case i'll..." He came to stop when he realized something was amiss. He looked around the room with a perplexed look on his face as if he was trying to find something. "Where is Moka-san?" The younger students all looked around as well now, just realizing their own obliviousness. Not a one of them had noticed the absence of the first vampire in their group for the whole time they spent waiting around. Perhaps there was something to say about Gin being the one to notice her absence but none of them had even begun to think of that. They were all too ashamed that they had not taken notice to the fact that their friend was absent. 

Moments after they had took notice, Moka ran into the room and promptly slammed the door closed behind her. "Ah, there you are." Gin greeted her. Moka did not give him a response. Instead she leaned against the door, her breathing heavy and panting. Her expression was that of terror, as if she had just witnessed a grotesque murder or Eldritch horror. Her friends all looked at her with perplexed expressions as they wondered what on earth could cause her to be acting in such a manner. 

"I'm not here!" Was the only thing she said as she promptly ran around them and hid under Nekonome's desk. Her fellow club members all looked even more baffled now as Moka's behavior became even stranger. They were all equally confused as to what was causing Moka to act so frightened. If she was in danger all she needed to do was ask Kaneki to remove her rosary and she would be more than capable of dealing with the situation. Which made seeing her run and hide in fear quite odd. The answer to their questions came banging on the door to the classroom.

Someone or something slammed into the now closed door twice before it was forced open. A new student had joined them in the classroom. She was a first year student with bright orange hair tied into twin tails on each side of her head. Her eyes were the same shade of green as Moka's though this girl's eyes gave off an aura of rage and aggression as opposed to Moka's gentleness. Her uniform was also blood red in color, much unlike their green ones. "Where is she?!" The new girl demanded. "I know she's here?"

"W-who?" Kurumu managed to ask though to continuation of confusion than began to slow down her mental processing. 

"Akashiya Moka, that's who!" The girl shouted back. "I know she ran this way. Where'd she go?"

"What do you want with Moka?" Kaneki asked, avoiding honorifics in her name until he knew more about the situation. This girl could be an assassin or an acquaintance, but there were no clues as to just who she was. 

"So you do know where she is!" The girl quickly jumped to conclusions.

"Answer my question first." He reaffirmed his previous inquiry. 

"I said tell me!" She suddenly produced a large mace from seemingly nothing. She simply reached behind her and there was suddenly a mace as large as her body. She jumped into the air and swung the massive weapon straight down towards Kaneki. He caught the weapon by the handle just below the head. With his other hand he grabbed onto her arm and tossed her across the room. She crashed into the last two rows of desks, sending several of them to clatter to the ground. Two of them went with her as she slid against the floor and slammed against the far wall. She rubbed her head before glaring back at Kaneki. "Why you..." 

She looked up to see him standing right before her. His cold unfeeling eyes looked down upon her much like a beast staring at its prey. That very situation was just about to play out. He cracked his index finger with his knuckle as he prepared to deal with one more threat. The lower classman looked even more terrified than Moka had as she looked into the callous eyes of her about to be slaughterer. She now knew the look of a true killer and the look of death itself. The color drained from her face as she realized that at only fourteen her end had come.

"No, don't hurt her!" Moka revealed herself as she came out from her hiding spot. She ran over to Kaneki and he looked back at her. The light returned to his eyes as the cruel persona faded out. "She's my sister!" Moka revealed. 

"Sister?" There was a unanimous jolt of surprise from those on the other side of the room. 

"Her name is Shuzen Kokoa, she's my younger half-sister." Moka explained. Kaneki looked back down at the still petrified girl. 

"Well then hello Kokoa-san." Kaneki smiled down at her. "Sorry about all that." It was at that moment that the younger girl could not handle it anymore. Right there she fainted, falling backwards against the desks as she lost consciousness. 

"Kokoa-chan!" Moka ran over to her sister's side. Kaneki let out a displeased sigh. 

"This is going to be an interesting year."

* * *

The 24th Ward of Tokyo was a dark and cheerless setting. Unlike the other wards of the city this one was entirely underground. A network of interconnecting tunnels left abandoned an unused by the public at large. Not it was a den for the lowliest of ghouls or those down on their luck. Though a few homeless humans did inhabit the 24th Ward most of the population was made up of ghouls. They prefer ed the dark to hide themselves in and made sure they knew their way around in case of attack from the Doves. However the musty passageways of the area were far from ideal. 

Danger lurked around every corner whether it be from an ambush by the CCG investigators or other ghouls. Cannibalism was not uncommon in the 24th Ward where a human food source was so scarce. Ghouls would often be forced to devour their own kind in order to survive. It was one of the many harsh facts of life in the underground ward as well as one of the many things that made it such a disgusting place. 

From the moment the two outsiders had arrived they already despised the revolting atmosphere of the dank tunnels. They were two women with slightly tan skin and blonde hair. The one was an older woman appearing to be in her early thirties with her hair at shoulder length. She was dressed in a black dress that reached down to her knees and she was already regretting wearing such nice shoes in such a filthy place. The other was younger in appearance, only in her very early twenties and with her hair grown out much longer. She was dressed in a white gown though the ends of it were no so white anymore. The two of them had trudged their way though the rank and repulsive tunnels that could easily be mistaken as a sewer until eventually the reached the heart of it all. 

Hidden deep away within the center of the city ward was a set of metal double doors. Though no one was allowed to simply walk up to them unannounced or without the owner's knowledge. The whole way there they had been watched closely as the made their way towards the heart of the 24th Ward. They were expected beyond those two doors as they had an important matter to attend to. The two metal doors slowly opened and scrapped against the stone ground. Two men dressed from head to toe in black had opened the doors for them and allowed them to enter. The two guests stepped past the now open doors and entered a dark and dimly lit chamber. They continued down a center path with a row of goons of either side, all dressed the same as the two who had let them in. In center of the far side of the room sat a single man atop a decorative chair. Next to him was a wine glass filled with blood. His peering red eyes followed the two women as they approached. 

The two visitors stopped several feet away from him and both bowed together as a sign of respect. "Thank you for seeing us today Fujisaki-sama." The older woman spoke first. From this distance she had gotten a better look at him. He was dressed more finely than the other men, wearing a black suit rather than a large black coat and hat. His iris were simply red naturally just like a vampire without the slit pupil. His hair was kept at a short length just around her ears though it still seemed to grow out wildly. 

"When I had heard that the Shuzen family had wished to contact I was naturally curious." He spoke back in a tone that was void of emotion but still commanded control. "For what purpose have you sought an audience with me?"

"I believe it is possible for our organizations to help one another." The older woman replied. "I know the location of two targets who you seek, two half-ghouls to be precise." 

"Oh?" This piqued Fujisaki's interest.

"One of them is the one known as the One-Eyed Owl. The other is named Kaneki Ken, a human boy who had artificially become a ghoul by means of kakuhou implant. That boy is also now part vampire." She could almost hear the brow of Fujisaki furrowing as he heard this. One-Eyed Ghouls were already a problem enough as it was. Though rare their very existence threatened everything they had worked so hard to achieve. But now to have one who also held within him the power of a vampire was unacceptable. He would be made just as much a target as the child who on multiple occasions had attacked the CCG. "They are both currently residing at Youkai Academy."

"Then what purpose do you have bringing this information to me?" He asked. "That is the territory of one of the Dark Lords. I dare not tread there as it would be seen as an act of aggression." 

"That is where I believe I may assist." She continued. "I have a plan that with your assistance could flush out everyone within the school. In return we will find someone whom we seek that is also at that school." Fujisaki narrowed his eyes at the blonde woman who had entered his chamber. She had said nothing more of her motives and he had already become suspicious of her. However she possessed information that he needed and thus put them at an impasse. He would ultimately have to give her plan a listen in order to seek out the two threats.

"Very well then, let us hear your plan Shuzen Gyokuro." 

* * *

After the meeting was over Gyokuro and her daughter Kahlua departed from the chamber and began to depart from the underground tunnels. Their business had concluded and together they had both come to an agreement. V would go along with their plan and flush the students out so both sides could track down those whom they sought. It was a bit of a shaky arrangement as neither side fully trusted the other. However they were in a situation now where cooperation was necessary in order to obtain gains.

"Was that really him mother?" Kahlua turned to her mother and asked. 

"Yes, that was the Shinso Ghoul, Fujisaki Kazuki." Gyokuro answered. "Aside from Alucard himself, that man is the second strongest being to ever exist. Far stronger than his brother."

"But if he's that strong why doesn't her just go after the two One-Eyed Ghouls himself?" 

"Because that's not how he operates, nor is it the kind of man he is." Her mother responded. "He prefers to keep things as the are and maintain the status quo. Despite all his power he fears humans and believes his kind can only survive in the shadows. Thus he operates within them and keeps everything as secretive as he can in order to maintain his sense of balance."

"Well he's gonna be pretty disappointed then isn't he?" Kahlua asked. 

"Yes." Gyokuro began to grin. "Yes he certainly is."

Meanwhile in the secretive hall of V, the air was quiet and still after their two guests had departed. There was still a lingering tension among them even after the two vampires were gone. All of them men there had been informed of their power, with Gyokuro being able to outclass the rest of them easily. However even combined their might could not match that of Fujisaki Kazkui's. His eyes were still fixated on the door as he remained in a state of deep thought. "Sir." One of his higher up men approached him. "Are we really going to go through with this plan?" 

"Yes, we are." Kazuki answered plainly. "A single One-Eyed Ghoul is bad enough, but two is even more dangerous. Especially if they are together and one is also half-vampire."

"But won't this go against what we've been working for?" The man asked.

"In a sense, but now what is to come will be unavoidable. If a ghoul who is half-vampire exists then such consequences are unavoidable. However do not think this means those two women are to be trust. Have spies planted in their organization as well so that we may keep track of them." His subordinate bowed in response and backed away from the mighty leader of V. He again was vexed as to what purpose those two vampires would have in seeking his help. Perhaps his younger brother put them up to this. Whatever the case may be he fully understood the danger that they posed and would not allow them to simply do as they pleased. For now all he could do was enact their plan and wait with his eyes and ears wide open. 

Whether he liked it or not things were about to change and the world as he knew it would be thrown upside down.


	32. Unchangeable, pt 1

The hands of Rank 2 Investigator Takizawa Seidou were shaking rapidly. The nerve-racking anxiety was getting to him right before his first big mission. He along with five other investigators were currently in the back of an armored transport vehicle that was taking them to their destination. It was the first large raid that the novice investigator would be taking part in and it made him tense. He knew that large raids tended to be high risk missions and this was no exception. In fact the details of the mission caused him to be even more on edge. His uneasiness was plain to see from the fearful expression upon as face as well as the fact that his whole body was shaking.

The others however remained calm as they were carried towards their destination. Seidou expected no less from them of course, after all he was the weakest among them. To his left was Shinohara Yukinori, one of the few investigators to reach the rank of Special Class, of which there were only a handful. He was a stout man with a wide chin and a small beard in the shape of an upside down V. To Seidou's right was Shinohara's partner, Rank 3 Investigator Suzuya Juuzou. Rank 3 was another rare rank, given to those that had special combat abilities that allowed them to bypass the usual academy training. Among those in the back of the vehicle he was the youngest. He was around 16 and had messy white hair. Juuzou appeared to be rather chipper, given the current situation. Though Seidou had never seen it himself, word was that Juuzou relished combat and was quite the force to be reckoned with.

Directly across from Seidou was First Class Investigator Amon Koutarou. He was another battle hardened veteran who had already served many years in the CCG, once even teaching at the academy which trains new investigators. He was taller than most and had short cut black hair along with teal eyes and curved eyebrows. Though he was sure this would be a mission to remember, Amon was rather unfazed by the current situation and unease before a raid. This was not his first time taking part in a large operation and it would likely not be his last. Then on the end opposite of Juuzou was Seidou's partner and mentor, Houji Kousuke. Kosuke too was tall like Amon, though he looked a bit more dignified and kept his hair neatly combed. He too was one of the few Special Class Investigators, having served many years and near perfecting his combat. Though usually seeming stern he was a good mentor to Seidou, and the rookie was glad to be learning under him.

Then there was her. Sitting to the right of Amon was his partner and apprentice Rank 1 Investigator Mado Akira. She was also Seidou's rival and had been all throughout their years together in the academy. She had graduated as valedictorian of their class while he was the salutatorian. She been granted the title of Rank 1 Investigator right out of graduation while he was a Rank 2 Investigator along with the rest of their class. It had seemed that she would always been number one at something while he was always the silver medal winner, coming just short of her. Akira was a fair woman with short blonde hair that had two braids on either side going to the back. Her eyes were a shade of violet and remained as calm as ever. Even before her first ever raid. She seemed to personify grace while Seidou was unable to keep himself composed. 

"Seidou." Houji called out to him. Seidou looked up with surprise and faced his superior. Houji gave him a king smile for once. "Don't worry, just stay close to me and you'll be fine." He reassured his partner.

"Y-yes sir!" Seidou replied nervously, though he was eased by Houji's sentiment. 

"We should almost be there by now." Shinohara announced to the others. "We don't know what to expect out there, so everyone stay on guard." Juuzou let out a little chuckle.

"I'm so excited, I can't wait!" He was joyous while the others were all either serious or panicked. Only Juuzou would look forward to such dangerous combat which would put anyone else on edge. By now though the others had become more used to his peculiar quirks. Shinohara was rather patient with him and did his best to teach and lead Juuzou. After all he was quite an advantageous ally in combat, and soon enough they were going to need that. 

Withing a few minutes they felt their transport vehicle begin to slow down and come to a crawl before stopping entirely. The large door on the back of the vehicle began to open and allowed light to flow into the previously dim hold. The six investigators needed a moment for their eyes to adjust to the bright light before they departed the vehicle. They then stood up and filed out of the vehicle, joining the other forces that were assembling for the large raid. There was a hundred some men and woman gathered and readied for battle. Most of their available forces had been gathered and arrived in a large convoy. All of the high ranking Special Class Investigators were there and readied for battle. The battalion of CCG forces began to gather into one large group and prepared to march towards their target. 

Amon stood next to Akira and would make sure she was near his side throughout the duration of the battle. He had already lost one partner, her father Mado Kureo. He would make sure that would never happen again, he would not let her fall there today. The troops were ready to move out now and begin their assault. Before they did so Amon looked over the trees and towards the target building. It looked almost exactly as he imagined it would, a fitting place for such creatures to lurk. The massive force began to mobilize and marched onward to their target, Youkai Academy.

* * *

Far in the distance upon a hill sat the Chairman's mansion. The same one where the battle for the fate of the school had taken place. His private residence overlooked the ground and the school itself. From there the entire structure was akin to a perch, capable of viewing a good mass of ground. Though a magic based surveillance system helped far more than a scenic view. There was a crystal ball on the Headmaster's desk that could project a view of anywhere on the property. He did not use it regularly nor did he have any sort of habit of spying. However if he needed to locate someone or had reason to suspect a conspiracy then he would use it. However Eto did not need it to see the looming threat.

From the second story of the opulent mansion she could already see the massive force making its way towards the school. From her perspective it looked like a black mass that was creeping ever closer to the school itself. She had an idea as to who it could be but she had to go make sure. She headed for the Headmaster's office where he kept his crystal ball. The Headmaster himself was currently absent as he had traveled away a couple days to attend to an important matter. That was all he had told her anyway. She had no business in his personal matters unless he saw it fit. With his current absence she was free to simply walk up to the ball which she could use to see the entire grounds and activate it. 

Though Eto was still but a novice in the arcane, she still had the know how when required to use a simple crystal ball. She waved her hand over it and a blue smoke began to fill the interior of the orb. Then a clear picture came into view, revealing the invading force making its way across the grounds. She instantly recognized the combat uniforms as well as the vibrantly colored weapons, fashioned out of the kagunes of deceased ghouls. The CCG had come to Youkai Academy, and war was inevitable. Her face became stern as she began to realize the consequences that were to follow. Being that it was her job, she had to call the Headmaster while he was away. She reached for the phone on his desk, an old antique thing that used an outdated spin dial. She spun in the numbers for his mobile device and the phone rang twice before there was an answer.

"Greetings Eto-san." Headmaster Mikogami's voice came in through the phone. "I assume you are calling me because of something important."

"The CCG have discovered the school, they're on the grounds as we speak." She informed him. There was a short period of silence after that. She could almost see his face tensing up as she new that discovery of the school by humans was what he feared far more than anything. Now that worst case was more than just a scenario. It was a reality that was about to play out with dire consequences, starting with bloodshed. 

"Have the school evacuated at once, the students should be our top priority." Mikogami ordered. "How many do you estimate are on the offensive?" 

"Around a hundred." She guessed just by the size. "Also, they brought him, their shinigami." She told the Headmaster as her eyes fixated an a sole individual among the enemy forces. An adult male with white hair and a very expressionless gaze, as if emotions were an alien concept to him. He was a man she was all too familiar with. 

"You are aware of your responsibilities to this school, correct?" Mikogami asked.

"Indeed." She answered.

"Good, then you know what must be done. I will be there as soon as I can." With that he hung up and the line went silent. Eto hung up the old phone and turned to stare out the large window behind his desk. She let out a sigh and took one last look upon the ocean and cliffs below. She knew that after today she would not be able to return to the school, nor would anyone. She had a faint smile upon her face as she let out a sigh. 

"A shame, here I was really starting to enjoy this place." She lamented before making the announcement. 

* * *

No one within Youkai Academy had any idea of the danger they were currently in. The faculty and staff alike were all blissfully unaware of the danger that was making its way towards the school. Oblivious to the large force of CCG troops that had one goal, to strip every last one of them of their lives. There were to be no survivors. However everyone in the school was simply continuing on with the day as if were just another. They were only into the start of their second week and things were still rather uneventful. The students were starting to get back into the swing of things and were now well adjusted. This was especially true for the second and third year students who had already been there before. 

For everyone it simply seemed as if this would be just another day of school. Nekonome continued her current lecture on human biology as the class all listened silently and took notes. For most this was their first actual lesson on humans and their biology. However for Kaneki all of this was just a review of everything he had learned in years past. Biology was nothing new for him, unless of course it covered other species that were attending the school. This was not the case however as part of the curriculum was learning how to blend in with human society. 

Then there was a buzz across the PA system throughout the entire school. Usually it was only used for early morning announcements or when there was other news that needed to be relayed to students. However the teachers and staff usually knew about it ahead of time. This was not the case now however, as even Nekonome looked up in surprise. "Attention students." Eto's voice rang throughout the speakers, being recognized only by those students in the Newspaper Club. "Human forces have entered the grounds and are making their way towards the school. All students and faculty are to evacuate immediately."

A wave of panic arose from the room, as well as the entire schools after that declaration. Students arose from their seats and the terror felt by all became verbal. Most began asking if it was real or even possible. How could humans have possibly found the school. Not only that but they had gotten past it's illusory barrier and were headed right for the school. Whoever it was, they were well prepared for this invasion. It would also help that now the student body was panicky and agitated. Kaneki however was quiet and simply continued to stare wide eyed at the speak in a state of mental shock.

"Everyone, please calm down!" Nekonome raised her voice in an attempt to gain control of the class once more. They all began to loud alarm of the students in her class began to pacify at their teacher's command, coming down to a murmur then merely a few whispers. "Now I understand you are all scared in this current situation. But if we all line up and calmly evacuate towards the back of the building then we will all make it out of this safely. Now please line up and follow me." Nekonome stepped away from the board and headed for the door. Her students began to line up and follow diligently. 

However not all seemed so willing to follow her instructions. Once the front half of the group was out the door Moka noticed something. Kaneki seemed to be staying back and not joining the others. Concerned for his safety, she approached him. "Aren't you coming Kaneki-kun?" She asked worriedly. He faced her with a solemn look. 

"Go on ahead without me." He told her. "Tell the others i'll meet up with everyone when I can."

"What? No you can't!" She pleaded. "There are armed humans outside, and they don't care who you are. They'll probably kill anyone on sight."

"But what if it's V?" Kaneki hypothesized. "It might be them, or it might not be. But if it is then this might be our only chance to find out more about them. Even if it's someone else I have to take this chance. Besides, it might just buy everyone else enough time to escape."

"But what if we don't meet up again afterward?" Moka asked. Kaneki thought about it for a moment. There would be a chance he would be unable to meet up with his friends again if they were forced to flee the grounds entirely. In fact should that be the case then he wouldn't have he faintest idea on how to find them. He knew nothing about where anyone lived, especially considering many youkai species lived in sealed away realms similar to that of Youkai Academy. Kaneki deduced that the best method was to have a place farther away where it would be safe to meet up. One such place came to mind.

"Moka-chan, do you remember the building where the Festival Planning Committee meetings were held?" He asked. She nodded her head in confirmation. "Tell everyone to meet, it's far away enough that it won't be an immediate target. I'll meet up with you all again there, now go." Though she was reluctant about it, Moka turned away and joined the end of the line of her classmates as they departed the room. Before leaving she took one last look at familiar classroom and one more glance at Kaneki who simply watched as the rest of the class made it to safety. For him however, there would be no such guarantee of survival, but that was nothing new.

* * *

Outside in front of the school a battle began to ensue. Several brave students had decided to fight off the encroaching army to buy the others some more time. They were the stronger students who had the capacity within them to put up a fight. However with the CCG's overwhelming numbers. Despite the fact that each student standing up to them was more powerful as an individual, the sheer numbers of troops began to overwhelm the resistance. One large orc attempted to rush a group of three soldiers. He was now in his true form, standing a couple feet taller than the humans and with his skin now a deep green color and two tusks protruding from his bottom jaw. He was unarmed and attacked the men with his bare fists. Two men dodged to either side while one ducked under the attack. Armed with a quinque fashioned like a katana without a guard, the middle soldier lunged forward and pierced the brutish Orc's abdomen. The large youkai fell backwards towards the earth with a resounding thud.

One of that human's comrades was not so lucky. He did not notice the Shinigami coming down from above. Clad in a black kimono and armed with a katana, the Shinigami cut through the soldier from above, slicing through his back down to his waist. The man fell to the ground as the Shinigami rushed the CCG soldier with the guardless sword. The soldier swung but his quinque passed through an afterimage the Shinigami quickly sped past him and cut through his stomach, nearly severing him in two. A second human fell and the Shinigami moved onto the third, who was armed with what looked like two gauntlets with four claws on each hand. However that quinque was made from a rinkaku, and the four claws on his left glove grew into tentacle like appendages that curved upward as he struck up. The Shinigami jumped backwards and into the air to evade the attack.

"Higher Mind!" A voice shouted. A beam of light blue energy shot through the side of the Shinigami and struck him dead before he even hit the ground. He fell down dead just like the two he had killed, and the investigator who had killed him smirked as he achieved retaliation. The man who had shouted his attack was Special Class Tanakamaru Mougan. He was a tall and bulky man with a pompadour and a thick mustache. He then turned his attention to another target. A first year monstrel who had not been around during the reign of ANTI-THESIS. This youkai was shaped like a hideous ball. He body being spherical with his face in the center. It had two lanky arms with curved claws on each finger. It also had an alligator like tail coming from the lower back. Mougan thought it a truly hideous creature that did not deserve life, and thus he took aim. "Higher Mind!" He shouted once more before firing and taking down yet another target. 

The fighting continued to rage on in the portion of the grounds in front of the school itself. More students began to pour out of the front of the school, choosing to stand and fight with honor rather than escape with their lives. For some of them it was a profound bravery, truly wishing to fight to ensure the exodus of the others. For others it was simply matter of pride. They would not be forced out so easily by mere humans. One student however helped behind the lines. There was two high walls near a corner of the front, standing over a courtyard where students would often gather between or after classes. However it was currently unseen by the forces that were currently engaging the students.

There a single third year student was attending to the wounded. She was an Undine, a water fairy. Her long brown hair flowed down her back and in her true form her ears and become elongated and pointed. Being a fairy she was fairly well versed in magic, especially healing magic. She was currently using what she knew in order to tend to the wounded. She had managed to pull a few injured and nearly dead students from the field of battle and was now tending to their wounds. A green energy formed around her hands and flowed towards the wounds of the student she was currently tending too. She knew she was too weak to do any actual fighting, it would be suicide for someone like her. But she was determined to do what she could to help, even if it was only tending to the fallen. 

As she was aiding the last of her current batch, another student came crashing through one of the walls as he was thrown through it. A Kappa flew across her head and crashed into the other wall, causing part of the second portion of wall to crumble. She turned to the direction he had come from to find that her position had been compromised. A man wielding a spear quinque, and who had thrown thrown the Kappa student, had noticed her beyond the newly formed opening. She was struck with fear as he poised himself to strike, the spear now above his head with both hands gripping it. She knew in that moment that she would be too slow to dodge it and that this was the end for her. As she somewhat reluctantly accepted that fate, her saving grace came crashing down atop the aggressor. 

The impact was so powerful and thunderous that it immediately garnered the attention of all those around it. The noise of fighting stop after the last of the rebels had fallen mere moments before the impact. A cloud of dust arose from the spot for a brief period before settling and revealing who had joined the battlefield in such a blatant manner. The whole crowd of soldier continued to remain silent, staring in aghast horror at the cause of the crash. Standing there far taller than any man was a ghoul in it's kakuja form, with two curved ukaku blades protruding from it's shoulder blades, and a single kakugan on the right side of it's mask. This figure was one they were all familiar with, whether or not it was the first time they had truly seen it. They all knew that it was the infamous One-Eyed Ghoul that had attacked them and caused a great number of casualties ten years ago.

They were all staring in shock. After ten whole years without so much as a single lead, the One-Eyed Own had now revealed itself once more. The deadliest foe that any one them had ever faced was standing before them. For many this was their first time actually laying eyes upon the monstrous owl. Needless to say they were stricken with panic. They had all heard the stories, the legend of the mighty kakuja that had assaulted one of their headquarters as well as the maximum security ghoul prison in the 23rd ward. Now they were face to face with that monstrosity that was a thing of nightmares. Her landing had killed the man armed with a spear, as well as two other nearby investigators. A third was injured and attempted to crawl away. His efforts were fruitless as in one swift motion his body was punctured by one of the blades of the owl. It had ran him through and left a fatal would. Those nearby all took a cautionary step back as they prepared for an attack.

"That's it isn't it?" Akira asked her partner. "That's the One-Eyed Owl." There was a shred of venom in her voice as she had already held personal animosity towards the infamous creature. Nearby, Seidou was once more shaking uncontrollably. Taking on a bunch of Youkai with so many unknown variables was bad enough, now the deadliest ghoul known to the CCG had arrived as well. It was clear too that the Owl meant business. A rank novice like him stood no chance. He was so on edge that he actually jolted in shock when he felt a hand placed upon his shoulder. He looked back to see his mentor standing behind, towering over him as usual.

"Don't worry, just stay out of this one." Houji ordered him calmly. He then stepped past his apprentice and prepared for a fight. 

"All Special Class Investigators, move up and engage the Owl!" Shinohara shouted out loud enough for all to hear. "Everyone else fall back and create a perimeter, do not allow the Owl to escape!" The others all decided to heed his advice, none of them wanting to die at the hands of such a formidable foe. The majority of the group began to move back and created a large opening around the One-Eyed Owl. It was a clearing large enough for those of the Special Class rank to engage the Owl freely. Only six rushed forward to engage the mighty kakuja. Shinohara and Kuroiwa Iwao, both stout and burly men as was Mougan. Houji charged in followed by Ui Koori, an androgynous investigator with bob cut black hair. Last was Aura Kiyoko, the only female Special Class Investigator. She was a fair woman with dark navy blue hair held up by a ribbon. Those six brave souls all charged courageously into battle against a foe most fearsome.

The Owl attacked first, unleashing a barrage of kagune shards that only the ukaku type could fire. Shinohara and Iwao took on the blast, unleashing their secret weapons to counteract the projectiles. Both men were outfitted with prototype kakuja armor that not only protected them from them from the powerful attack, but also enhanced their speed and strength. Together with their quinques they blocked the incoming crystalline shards and shield their fellow investigators. "Higher Mind!" Mougan shouted before firing a powerful beam of energy. His preemptive shouting had given himself away and Eto was easily able to avoid the attack, moving to the side as the beam passed by harmlessly. 

"Maybe you should stop shouting the name of your attack before you use it." Koori suggested. 

"Ha, nonsense!" Mougan dismissed him in a comical fashion. "One must be hearty in combat and enjoy it to the fullest."

"Stay focused on the target." Shinohara reminded them. Both men grew silent and instead focused on their target, fully anticipating avenging those whom the owl had slain. Koori went in for an attack using his halberd quinque Taruhi. Eto pulled her right blade back and then swept in massive kagune at the investigator. He was able to block it, however the sheer force of the attack still caused him to slide on his feet along the dirt. All while he held back the otherwise fatal strike. He was forcibly pushed a few meters away from his original spot. As Eto was focused on him Kiyoko rushed forward and got a strike in. Using her own quinque that was fashioned to similar to an estoc, she landed a thrust that cut into the side of the massive Owl. In her kakuja state Eto let out a howl of pain before reversing her attack to strike back against the investigator. Kiyoko was quick enough to pull back and avoid the strike all together. This gave Koori and opening and using the advantageous length of his weapon he was able to slash upwards and slice through the thick hide of the Owl.

Again she swung with her left blade this time but Koori was able to avoid the attack. The Special Class Investigators regrouped after managing to land two successful strikes. "Good job, but it's far from over." Shinohara complemented their skill but was reminded that this was an uphill battle as he watched the two wounds they had created begin to heal. "The way I see there's two way we can beat this opponent. One is we can try to hit the kakuhou which should be fatal. The other is we can punching through this things armor until we hit whoever is inside."

"If we try that route we'll need to cut deep, otherwise our attacks will just be useless." Iwao was easily able to grasp the situation and know how the two strategies would play out. "However considering that the Owl had a ukaku-type kagune it'll be unlikely that we'll be quick enough to actually land a precise strike on a vital spot."

"Then we'll just have to cut through that armor and hit whoever is controlling this best." Houji agreed with the second option. "Tanakamaru and I will cover the ranged attacks." Mougan nodded in confirmation as the battle plan was set. With no further need to communicate their plans, the other four investigators  leapt into action. They spread out and then attacked the Owl from all different directions. The Owl was swift however and managed to avoid the wordlessly coordinated attack. It dodged between two investigators with great speed, then it began to circle them. It began to look for an opening but was thrown off when Mougan and Houji began to open fire. Mougan shouted the name of his quinque once more. His fired out yet another beam of blue energy while Houji's quinque, Hollow, shot glowing orange bladed projectiles. Eto was able to dodge Mougan's highly telegraphed attack but a few of the projectiles from Houji stuck to her right quinque blade. They then exploded shortly after impact, creating a much larger explosion as a result. 

The One-Eyed Owl emerged from resulting smoke cloud with one less blade. This gave the investigators an opening to attack the now defenseless right side. Shinohara rushed to the right but Eto knew what they would be planning. She spun and swung at him with the left curved blade. Iwao lunged himself forward and used his quinque to block the attack and protect his comrade. Shinohara continued through with the attack, and using his quinque that appeared to be a massive butcher knife he chopped into the right of the Owl. He cut through some thick armor but did not feel anything soft underneath. He had missed the person piloting the massive kakuja. He then pulled his weapon back out of the ghoul and backed off alongside Iwao. The Owl's right kagune blade now reformed and massive gash in its side began to close. 

The two men rushed in once more and the Owl raised both blades up high. It swung them both down atop the two investigators. Had it not been for their own kakuja armor they would have died right at that moment. But with the boost in strength given to them by that armor they were able to hold back the Owl. Koori and Kiyoko both went in for an attack from behind while Mougan and Houji resumed fire. The two behind the large kakuja were both able to stab into the thick hide but again missed the target. The Owl then lunged above Iwao and Shinohara, aiming to take out their ranged support. The massive Owl spun through the air like a bullet and swung at an angle with it's right blade. Both men were forced to dodge in opposite directions. The Owl went after Mougan and attempted to pierce him with the point of her left blade. 

"Higher mind!" Mougan shouted once more before stopping her attack. His long range quinque changed form and became a close range weapon. It was made to fit with a bar in the middle that he gripped and had two pillars of either side so that it could be used as a punching weapon. His punch met with her blade and the two collided with great force. Mougan was knocked back a bit but quickly regain himself. Houji opened fire on the Owl's back and created another explosion from the projectiles. The back armor of the Owl was blown off and Houji caught just a glimpse of what he needed. 

"By the head, about a meter down!" He shouted out to the others. They all understood well and closed in for one last attack. Mougan rushed in and delivered a powerful sucker punch to the kakuja's head that disorientated it. Iwao and Shinohara both jumped into the air behind the Owl in order to strike from above. They were met with another flurry of shards fired from her kagune. Both men managed to block the incoming projectiles and avoid any serious injury, but they were both launched back as a result of the force with which the shards were fired. The Owl now gained some distance as the multiple opponents began a synchronized attack. However Koori and Kiyoko were already upon her with a calculated series of strikes.

She blocked and parried them with great skill as she continued to back up. As things were at that moment they were at a stalemate. The powerful Owl was more than capable of taking on two or even three Special Class investigators at once. In an attempt to break the stalemate she swung both of her blades up then brought them both down on the two investigators with tremendous force. Once more Iwao and Shinohara with their kakjuka armor were able to block the attacks and hold the Owl back. Koori and Kiyoko took that opportunity and both rushed in. The two of them delivered powerful thrusting attacks to the chest of the Owl. "Higher Mind!" Mougan shouted once more as he fired a shot that penetrated all the was through the armored Owl. It fell backwards and blood gushed out as it seemed he had hit the core where the true Owl lied. The massive beast rolled twice before stopping itself, bent over in pain and on its knees. 

"I'll finish this!" Koori shouted as he went in for the killing blow. With his grip tight and his aim true he charge with the point of his halberd and aimed for where the beast's heart should be and where its pilot lay. He was mere inches away before he was stopped entirely. A massive white arm emerged from under the Owl's cloak and grabbed hold of him. Koori was trapped in the mighty grip of this newly formed appendage. A second arm then emerged from the other side and the Owl's body began to change. The mask began to shift and grew two horns on either side of its head. A single kakugan now appeared in the center of the face with three slit markings on either side. A large mouth now appeared on the new mask as well and two more blades grew from the shoulders. Now in her second kakuja phase it was time for Eto to be serious. She stared at the investigator in her clutches. She then roared with at an earsplitting volume right in his face. Never would he forget the shrill and inhuman tone that came from that wordless abomination. She then threw him with even greater strength than she had before. Even with all his experience, Koori was unable to do anything more than roll across the ground like a ragdoll while the rest of the CCG watched in horror.

"Ui-san!" Houji shouted in concern after he had finally stopped. The fallen Special Class Investigator remained still after that overwhelming attack that was no more than a simple throw for Eto. Houji rand over to check the vitals of his comrade. 

"Damn it, what the blazes is that thing?" Mougan asked in both shock and horror. The Owl fired another barrage of shards, these being even more powerful that the last few. The two armored investigators were forced to use all their strength to block the strengthened volley of kagune shards. 

"It's even stronger now." Iwao realized as he felt the force of this assault. They so focused on holding the volley back that they did not see the Owl charging at them. Even if they had there would have been no time. She passed between then and using her blades of either side she knocked them back with great force. Even their armor was incapable of protecting them from injury that time. The Owl continued it's charge and aimed for Mougan now. He took aim with Higher Mind and fired without shouting this time. The Owl grabbed his quinque by the barrel and was actually capable of holding back the charge. The energy stored up inside the barrel until it exploded. Eto suffered only minor burns to the plalm of her hand which then began to heal. Mougan however was launched back from his own Quinque exploding and was burned badly over the front section of his body. 

Houji fired another set of blades with Hollow that then exploded against the Owl. It had no effect against this form as the Owl simply turned its massive head and snickered at him. Houji was left shocked as his attacks were now useless against this foe. The Owl charged him next and despite the fact that his quique was ineffective Houji took aim. Eto grabbed him next, taking hold of the quinque that covered his right forearm. She crushed down on his forearm and a nauseating crack followed. Both his weapon and his bones were crushed within her powerful grip. Kiyoko rushed in from the side in an attempt to save Houji. Eto noticed her approaching and swiftly struck the last standing Special Class Investigator with the back of her kakuja hand. Kiyoko was sent flying through the air a good few meters while Eto tossed Huoji directly into the ground. 

The mighty Owl then cackled as it stood victorious. The rest of the CCG forces could only stare in horror as the entire squad of the highest rank investigators fell in mere moments to the Owl's second kakuja form. The mightiest among them had fallen and now all them would have to face the Owl. Though numbers was on their side it was unlikely any of them would have the skill for any of their attacks to connect. The Owl turned to the crowd and grinned evilly, staring with the single large black and red eye. 


End file.
